New York Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
After a car accident, it can be tempting to skip a trip to the doctor if you don’t feel immediate pain. After all, you may feel fine and may be more worried about damage to your car or the insurance process. Spending hours in a waiting room to see a doctor can seem like more than you can handle. However, seeking prompt medical attention after a crash is one of the most important steps you can take. It protects your health and can save your life. It also protects your potential personal injury claim.
At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we’ve represented car accident victims throughout Westchester and surrounding counties. We’ve seen how early medical evaluation can make a critical difference in both physical recovery and the outcome of an injury case. If you have been injured by someone’s negligence, contact us for a free consultation. You can even call us from the waiting room or from your hospital room and we will answer within 24 business hours—and often much sooner. If you are worried about your medical costs, we can explore ways we can seek compensation to cover those, and other expenses related to your car accident.
Why Immediate Medical Care Matters After a Crash
Even minor collisions can cause serious, sometimes hidden injuries. When adrenaline and shock set in, you might not notice pain or stiffness until hours or even days later. By then, the injury could worsen, and insurance companies may use the delay to argue that your pain wasn’t caused by the accident.
A timely medical exam establishes two essential things:
- A documented connection between the crash and your injuries. Medical records serve as evidence that your injuries were directly related to the accident.
- Early diagnosis and treatment. Certain injuries, especially head and back injuries, can lead to long-term complications if untreated. Early intervention helps lower the risk of complications and promotes faster recovery.
If you experience dizziness, headaches, confusion, numbness, or pain in the hours following an accident, it’s important to return to your doctor right away. These may be signs of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion, or other serious condition that wasn’t immediately apparent.
Common Injuries That Car Accident Victims Overlook
Many people assume that if they can walk away from a crash, they’re fine. Unfortunately, internal injuries often develop gradually. At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we regularly help clients suffering from:
- Whiplash and neck injuries. These are common in rear-end collisions and may not cause pain until one or two days later.
- Brain injuries. A concussion or TBI can occur even without direct head impact. Symptoms like blurred vision, fatigue, or memory problems can appear hours or days later. The insidious thing about TBIs is that even fatal head injuries may not present symptoms right away, and by the time victims seek medical attention, the swelling and bleeding of the brain may be too severe. If you have hit your head or were in a serious accident, always treat it as an emergency and seek medical attention. It could save your life.
- Spinal injuries. Herniated discs or nerve compression can take time to develop, sometimes presenting as back stiffness or numbness in the extremities. Chronic back pain may develop over time, and if you don’t seek medical attention right away, insurance companies will usually try to claim that your injuries were caused by something other than your car accident.
- Broken bones. Hairline fractures can present as initial pain that you might dismiss as just the “normal” aches after a car accident. However, if you don’t start treatment quickly, the bone may start to heal incorrectly, causing severe pain and possibly requiring surgery later on.
- Soft tissue injuries. Muscle, tendon, and ligament damage can worsen over time, especially without proper rest or therapy. They may also present with very subtle symptoms at first, making them easy to miss after your car crash.
- Internal bleeding or organ damage. These injuries can be life-threatening and require immediate medical evaluation.
The Legal Connection: Medical Documentation and Your Claim
In New York, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries when someone else’s negligence causes a crash. But to build a strong case, your attorney needs clear medical evidence linking your injuries to the accident.
Insurance adjusters often look for any reason to minimize or deny claims. A delay in medical treatment, even by a few days, can lead them to argue that your injuries were not serious or not caused by the collision.
When you see a doctor right away, the medical records:
- Establish the timing of your injuries.
- Describe the symptoms and recommended treatment.
- Provide diagnostic tests that confirm trauma and the severity of your injuries.
- Demonstrate consistency between what you tell your doctor and what you later claim in your case.
This medical documentation becomes the backbone of your personal injury claim and allows your attorney to pursue fair compensation for your pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, and past and future earnings and loss of earning capacity. Property damage, car rental, and incidental expenses can also be recovered but are typically secondary to injury-related losses.
No-Fault Insurance and Medical Treatment in New York
In New York, your own insurance initially covers your medical bills and certain lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash. However, this coverage is limited, and serious injuries often exceed what no-fault provides.
If your injuries meet the “serious injury threshold” defined by New York law, you may bring a lawsuit against the at-fault driver for additional compensation. Having thorough, consistent medical records helps your attorney establish that you meet this threshold.
The Role of Medical Experts in Car Accident Cases
At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we often consult with medical professionals to interpret and present complex medical findings. Orthopedic specialists, neurologists, and rehabilitation experts can help demonstrate how a crash directly caused a client’s injuries and how those injuries impact daily life or earning ability.
Medical experts also help quantify damages related to future medical needs, ongoing pain, and limitations. These often become essential elements in securing a fair settlement or trial verdict.
When Delayed Symptoms Appear
If you didn’t go to the hospital right after your accident but begin feeling pain or discomfort later, seek medical care immediately. It’s never “too late” to get evaluated, but waiting too long can complicate both your health and your claim.
Be honest with your doctor about when the accident occurred and how your symptoms developed. Consistency between your medical records and your statements is crucial. Even if your initial pain seems minor, continuing care and follow-up appointments show that you’re taking your recovery seriously, which also strengthens your case.
It’s also important to seek medical attention if you did seek care after your accident but you started experiencing additional symptoms after you went home, or if your symptoms got worse. Unfortunately, even if you seek medical attention right away, some doctors may miss signs of an injury. In this situation, getting a second opinion and medical treatment right away is important for both your health and your claim.
Emotional and Psychological Injuries After a Car Accident
Not all injuries are physical. Many crash victims experience anxiety, nightmares, depression, mood swings, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially after severe or fatal collisions.
These emotional injuries deserve just as much attention as physical ones. Seeking counseling or therapy is a valid and necessary part of your recovery, and documentation of these treatments also contributes to a comprehensive personal injury claim. If you have suffered mentally because of your accident, you may be able to pursue compensation for the cost of your mental health care.
How The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel Can Help
With almost 40 years of experience representing car accident victims across Westchester and surrounding counties, attorney Mark A. Siesel combines legal experience with true care for his clients. He understands the stress his clients are under and the worries about medical bills and other costs that can arise after a car accident.
Our firm handles all types of motor vehicle accident claims, including car, truck, bus, and motorcycle accidents, as well as cases involving DWI-related crashes, traumatic brain injuries, premises liability, and other injuries.
We provide a free consultation if you’re not sure you have a claim. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, don’t delay getting the medical care and legal guidance you need. Prompt action can make all the difference in your recovery and in your ability to secure fair compensation.
Call The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel today at (914) 428-7386 or visitwww.injurylawny.com to schedule your free consultation.