Not Sure Whether to Seek Medical Treatment after Your Louisiana Car Accident? Here’s What You Should Know
Something that many Louisiana car accident victims may wonder is whether or not they should seek medical treatment if they are not aware of any serious and debilitating injuries. For some people, seeking medical treatment at a hospital or at a doctor’s office can feel like an uphill battle, with hefty co-pays, long wait times, and sometimes even unexpected medical expenses. Indeed, seeking medical treatment if you do not know if you were seriously injured may seem like just a hassle. However, there are good reasons to seek medical treatment after a car accident, even if you are not aware of any serious injuries. To help Louisiana drivers better understand why seeking medical treatment after a car accident makes sense, we provide the following three reasons.
#1: You May be Seriously Injured and Not Know It
Victims of car accidents may experience a good amount of shock and stress after the initial collision takes place. With all the moving pieces of a car accident – law enforcement, the other driver, insurance companies, passengers and other occupants, personal property, etc. – a car accident victim may feel overwhelmed and may not be aware of all of the injuries that they have sustained. In addition, there may be internal injuries that are not visible to the naked eye that could be serious in nature. For these reasons, seeking medical treatment after being involved in a car accident makes sense, even if you may not see or feel any immediate serious injuries.
#2. If You Delay, the Defendant May Claim that Your Injuries Were Caused by Something Else
In order to recover compensation for injuries sustained due to a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, in Louisiana, a car accident plaintiff must prove that there is a causal connection between their injuries and the negligent driver’s actions. If a car accident victim delays in getting medical treatment, but later discovers they are injured, the defendant may raise the defense that something else caused the injury. In order for a plaintiff to be fairly compensated for all injuries sustained, it is, therefore, important to seek medical treatment following a car accident in Louisiana.
#3. No Medical Treatment? Potentially No Evidence of Damages
Finally, without any medical records at all, a car accident victim may not be able to recover monetary damages for their injuries. Medical records reflect the extent of injuries sustained in a car accident, and can be used when evaluating the damages in a Louisiana car accident case. Therefore, if there are no medical records at all, it may be very difficult for a Louisiana car accident plaintiff to recover compensation for their injuries.
Legal Help for Louisiana Car Accident Victims
If you were injured in a car accident in Louisiana and you are seeking legal assistance, contact the experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. The experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help you get justice due. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.
