Vehicular accidents are becoming more common than ever, introducing pain, scar, broken bones, and thousands of dollars in medical treatment to us. According to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,675 people in the US were reportedly killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2014. The number of injured accounted to a staggering 2.3 million. Most of the time the conditions that cause accidents, remain out of our control. However, we can handle the situation right after the accident and save ourselves from further trauma, both physical and mental. Apart from the obvious painful sensations, the possibility of medical bills piling up stresses us out and clouds our judgment. Victims of car accidents in Tampa and other major cities often refrain from catching up with a doctor. They try to get in touch with their lawyers and show interest in formulating a roadmap that helps them to get a claim and handle the treatment process. However, that might not be the right thing to do. Here are a few things you can do to deal with the situation right after a motor vehicle accident.
Bring In the Doctors
Regardless of the condition of your financial capability, you must see a doctor right after the accident. You may think that the injury you have suffered is a minor one and try to save a few bucks by avoiding the doctor. You may even be too afraid to calculate the medical bills and consider your insurance claim lawyer as the first person to consult. But, what you need to understand is, even a minor injury can lead to serious life threatening health conditions, without proper diagnosis. And in case of seeking insurance claim, you would most certainly need to submit prescriptions, and medical treatment bills issued by a doctor to get financial aid. Therefore, it is really important and wise for car accident victims to enlist the assistance of professional doctors before anything else. Fortunately new ‘on spot’ medical treatment and health diagnosis services are available now in Tampa and other cities that make the process easier.
Rest Up and Let Your Body Heal
Vehicular accidents do not just inflict physical trauma, they damage the mental stability as well. Feeling a bit unhinged right after the accident is quite common. Such situations are one of the many causes of making wrong decisions after an accident. As we feel helpless and overwhelmed with pain, fear seeps in and breaks our confidence. Calling a doctor can stabilize the situation, of course, but it hardly puts us back to our fittest best in an instant. Victims need to stay on medication and take rest for a few days. Let the medicines do their job and you will be thankful to yourself for making the call to the doctor first. Do not strain yourself about getting on with the insurance claims as quickly as possible. Taking Florida as an example, car accident victims are granted 14 days (after the incident) to file the claim. However, you must check with the legal process in your particular state. Your medical treatment paperwork and prescription from the doctor will play a major role in this insurance claim and turn the table in your favor.
Be On the Lookout for Symptoms
While resting and easing up on the fast lifestyle for a few days, you need to check for health improvement signs. Whether it is a minor injury or a life altering mishap, the first few healing days are crucial to make sure that your body and mind were not affected beyond the diagnosis of your doctor. Of course, you went to a good doctor and diagnosis from ‘on spot’ MDs helped you in finding the right treatment at the right time. But, complexity of human body often cloaks the full extent of the injury or trauma. If there was something missing before, you can be sure that it will surface, when your body starts healing in the relatively relaxed situations.
Get Continued Medical Assistance
Getting assistance and health diagnosis from professional MDs at the crash site is not the end of the treatment. You cannot visit doctors just once and rest your way to health. Medical supervision and assistance is required for quick health improvement and damage prevention. Their testimony and involvement in your treatment can offer better health and stabilize financial upheaval through insurance claims. In fact, you need to produce documents of continued treatment to show that you are serious about it. This would help you in filing the claim later on. To be on the safe side, it is always better to compare treatment policies followed by your favorite doctors. Getting a second opinion would not hurt.
Strengthen Your Psyche
Car accidents can shatter even the strongest of people mentally. This is especially true if the accident is very serious, taking a serious toll on the health of the people involved or even claiming lives. Many in a serious motor vehicle accident suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, mood disturbances, and many such psychological distresses. You may even need constant psychological counseling to cope with the situation. The best way to deal with it is to take medical help, opt for therapies and count on your friends and family for support.
Visit the ER If Necessary
Although you need to take medical help no matter how much or how little you are injured in a crash, visit the ER if you feel that the injuries of any person involved in the crash is life threatening. Emergency medical condition (EMC) refers to a situation when an individual feels the dire need of medical care to resolve persistent and increasing health problems. A few indications that you may be experiencing an EMC are:
- Severely painful sensation
- Burns with chances of infection
- Breathing issues
- Organ failure
- Suspected Heart attack
- Loss of consciousness
- Profuse bleeding that refuses to stop
Only a doctor can say what kind of treatment a person injured in a car accident in Tampa or any other place needs. That is one of the reasons why you should strike off any thought of bypassing medical care.
