You are involved in a personal injury accident. The adrenaline rush at the accident scene masks your pain. You may elect not to go to the emergency room in an ambulance because you are worried about how you will pay for the ambulance ride and emergency room bill. You may simply want to get home and go to bed. You do not want to think about being injured and missing work.
That night, as your adrenaline rush subsides, the pain becomes obvious. You have a splitting headache, your neck hurts, your back hurts, and you cannot sleep. You may be dazed or confused if you lost consciousness, “blacked out” or hit your head. Your arms are tingling and you have numbness in your fingers. You feel awful.
You decide to go to the emergency room because you are scared since you cannot “wish away” the pain. Or, you decide to go to an urgent care facility instead of the emergency room because you believe you can get in and out quicker than at the emergency room. You do not know what to do but you do know you are hurting and scared.
Take someone whom you know and trust with you when you seek medical treatment for your injuries. This friend can help you document your injuries on your initial intake sheet at the emergency room or urgent care center. Take your time in completing the intake sheet. Be thorough. The doctor needs to know what ails you in order to know how to help you heal.
A good way to document your injuries is to think: “From the top of my head to my toes, what hurts?” Then, write everything that hurts on the initial intake sheet. Your friend may point out things you have not noticed. Ask your friend to look over your initial intake sheet to make sure you are listing every pain you are experiencing as a result of the accident.
Documenting your injuries is critical. Failure to document your injuries will give the insurance company for the person who hurt you ammunition to either deny your personal injury claim or “lowball” you with a pitiful offer to settle your claim before you consult an experienced personal injury attorney.
You did not create the situation. You did not cause the accident. You are the victim.
You must take steps to make sure that you get the medical care that you need and to document your medical condition. Next, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney for legal advice before talking with the insurance company claims adjuster for the person who caused the accident. If the you take these steps, you will be taking of care of your medical issues and will be fully informed of your legal rights.
