After being involved in a car accident in New Jersey, the first thing you should do after you leave the scene is seek competent medical assessment and treatment. There are a number of different options to consider when getting medical care.
In our view, the best option in most cases is to go directly to your nearest emergency room. You may also choose to go to an urgent care facility if your injuries aren’t life-threatening or don’t require immediate attention. While primary care providers are an option, you will have to make an appointment, and even then, many primary care doctors may choose not to see car accident victims.
For help finding the best option for your injuries and for securing the compensation that you are owed afterwards, Legal Care New Jersey is here to help. To get your free initial case assessment or to find medical care providers in your area, call our New Jersey car accident attorneys today at (732) 838-9769.
Should You Go to the Emergency Room After a New Jersey Car Accident?
The best step that you can take for yourself and your recovery after being involved in a car accident is to go to your nearest emergency room. If your injuries require immediate care at the scene of the accident, you should strongly consider requesting an ambulance at the scene to get you to the hospital as safely and quickly as possible.
Emergency rooms operate at all hours of day or night, so if your accident occurs late at night, urgent care facilities or primary care doctors might not be available. Emergency rooms will also admit you and treat you for serious injuries immediately regardless of your insurance situation.
When you are involved in an accident, you may not even realize the severity or extent of your injuries until later. Unfortunately, in this time, your condition could progress to the point where it may threaten your life. Your best chance to discover conditions such as internal bleeding is by visiting the emergency room as soon as possible.
Should You Go to Urgent Care After a Car Accident?
If your injuries do not require immediate attention, you may choose to visit an urgent care facility. There are more urgent care locations than there are emergency rooms, so finding an available facility near you should not be difficult. You may also walk into an urgent care facility without an appointment.
However, not every urgent care facility is equipped to provide adequate treatment for every type of car accident injury. If the urgent care doctor determines that your injuries require immediate surgical intervention, they will likely send you to a hospital emergency room anyway.
Should You See Your Primary Care Physician After a New Jersey Car Accident?
Many car accident injury victims feel more comfortable seeing a doctor who is familiar with them and their medical history. If your injuries do not seem immediate and you can find an available appointment with your primary care doctor, this option may be available.
However, you should be aware that many primary care physicians will not see car accident victims. This happens for two reasons: your primary care doctor may not be able to bill a car insurance company for medical expenses, or they may want to avoid putting themselves in a position where they would be called to testify in court. Either way, they will often ask if your visit is related to an accident or injury as part of your paperwork, so you should be honest if that question comes up.
If your primary care physician will not see you for your car accident injuries and you are hesitant to visit an emergency room or urgent care facility, the Newark car accident attorneys at Legal Care New Jersey can locate a primary care physician that will assess and treat you.
Should You See a Medical Specialist After a New Jersey Car Accident?
In many cases, the doctor who does your initial medical assessment may recommend that you contact another doctor who specializes in the area of care that you require. They may even provide a direct referral to someone who can provide you with the specific care that your condition requires.
If you receive a referral to a specialist, you should make an appointment as soon as possible. Do your absolute best to keep these appointments and adhere to the specialist’s instructions. This is critical for your lawsuit recovery. If you miss appointments or don’t follow directions, the other side could argue use this as evidence that your injuries weren’t serious or that you added to your recovery time and exacerbated your injuries yourself.
If you don’t receive a specific referral, our New Jersey car accident lawyers can set you up with a specialist that can not only treat your condition, but also provide testimony in court about how your condition is likely to affect your rehabilitative needs, ability to work, and enjoyment of life going forward. Our Jersey City car accident attorneys can use that vital testimony to help you secure every dollar that you are owed for your injury recovery.
Should You See a Doctor Before Calling Your New Jersey Car Accident Lawyer?
Generally speaking, the sooner you contact an attorney after a car accident, the better your chances are of substantial recovery. However, your health should be your first priority. You should not prioritize anything above getting medical attention for your injuries.
Your New Jersey car accident attorney can also benefit from you having sought medical care first, as they can use your medical record to assess what to claim in damages for your case. If you need help getting a doctor or specialist to treat you, you can always call Legal Care New Jersey for help finding the right source of care for you.
Our New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You with Your Accident Injuries
To hear about our many services and how they could help you, call Legal Care New Jersey to speak with one of our dedicated Elizabeth car accident attorneys at (732) 838-9769.
