Drivers and others involved in a car crash may often decide to skip getting a medical evaluation in the emergency room if they don’t see a visible wound and feel physically okay. However, this decision could be a bad idea that puts both your health and your right to compensation at risk.
At PKSD, our experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyers have seen what happens when victims wait to seek medical help after a car crash. Collisions can cause potentially life-threatening internal injuries, like internal bleeding or brain injuries, even if the symptoms are initially delayed. Our reputable legal team has helped countless crash victims Milwaukee drivers secure compensation for their injuries and other losses.
Now is the time to learn how to protect yourself after a car crash so if you ever do find yourself in that situation, you’ll know exactly what to do to protect your health and your rights.
Injured in a Milwaukee car crash? Don’t wait – call PKSD today. We’ll review your case, answer your questions, and help you understand your next steps – all at no charge to you.
Call PKSD today for a free review of your case.
Do I Need to Seek Medical Care After a Car Crash if I Feel Fine?
Yes. You should always see a doctor after a car accident, even if you don’t see any visible proof that you are hurt
Adrenaline floods your body during and after a crash. This natural response masks pain and injury symptoms. You might have serious internal injuries without realizing it.
Crash victims may often “feel okay” right after the incident occurs. But severe soft-tissue injuries, brain bleeds, and other internal injuries may have delayed symptoms you may not be aware of for a few hours to days. By then, the damage may have worsened, putting your health – and maybe your life – at risk.
What Serious Injuries Are Internal and May Have Delayed Symptoms?
Car accidents can cause serious internal injuries that don’t hurt right away. These hidden injuries can be life-threatening if left untreated. Understanding which injuries may have delayed symptoms can save your life.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: Concussions and brain bleeding may not cause immediate pain, but they can lead to confusion, headaches, and memory problems days later.
- Internal Bleeding: Damage to your organs or blood vessels can cause bleeding inside your body that you cannot see or feel until you become weak or dizzy.
- Whiplash and Neck Injuries: The force of impact can damage muscles, ligaments, and discs in your neck, causing pain and stiffness that appears hours or days after your crash.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to your spine may not cause immediate paralysis but swelling and inflammation can lead to serious problems without quick treatment.
- Organ Damage: Your liver, spleen, kidneys, or other organs can be injured in a crash without obvious external signs or immediate symptoms.
- Broken Ribs: Rib fractures can be masked by adrenaline and may puncture your lungs or cause breathing problems later.
Why Seeking Immediate Medical Attention Matters for Your Health – and Your Milwaukee Injury Claim
Putting off seeking medical care after a car accident can really hurt your ability to seek compensation. This delay gives insurance companies the ammunition they need to argue one of these three things are true:
- You were not injured badly
- You were not injured at all,
- The injuries you sustained were caused by something else and not the crash or their policyholder
Medical records create a clear timeline linking your injuries to the accident that caused them. When you see a doctor right away, your medical file documents your injuries while they’re fresh. This documentation provides critical evidence in your Milwaukee injury claim.
Insurance companies are for-profit companies that protect their bottom line first and foremost. This means they will use every legal tactic to reduce what they pay out on a claim. Don’t give them a reason to question your injuries. Getting immediate medical care protects both your health and your legal right to fair compensation.
Why Visit a Milwaukee ER or Urgent Care After Your Car Accident
Emergency rooms and urgent care centers provide immediate documentation and treatment after a car crash. These facilities specialize in urgent care and know what internal injuries may result from a car crash. Primary care doctors might miss doing diagnostic testing for internal injuries after a car accident if a patient is not exhibiting any immediate signs of medical distress.
These are the key advantages of getting evaluated at an ER or urgent care center after a car accident:
- Immediate Access to Diagnostic Tools: ERs and urgent care centers have X-rays, CT scans, and other equipment on-site to detect internal injuries right away.
- No Appointment Needed: You can walk in immediately after your crash without waiting days for your primary care doctor’s next available appointment.
- Trained Emergency Staff: Emergency medical professionals specialize in trauma and know what car accident injuries to look for, even when symptoms seem minor.
- Official Medical Documentation: These facilities create detailed medical records, time-stamping your visit and providing proof that you sought care immediately after your Milwaukee car accident.
- Treatment for Hidden Injuries: Emergency doctors can identify and treat serious conditions like concussions, internal bleeding, and fractures before they become life-threatening.
- Insurance Companies Take ER Visits Seriously: A trip to the emergency room shows insurers that you took your injuries seriously from the start.
Time Gaps in Your Follow-Up Care and Ignoring Your Care Plan Can Hurt Your Claim
Getting immediate medical care is just the first step. You need to continue your treatments, follow your doctor’s treatment plan, and attend all scheduled appointments. Missing appointments or stopping treatment early gives insurance companies reasons to deny or reduce your compensation.
- Calls the Severity of Your Injuries into Question: When you skip appointments, insurers argue your injuries weren’t serious enough to require ongoing care.
- Gaps in Treatments Suggest You’ve Recovered: Missing weeks or months of treatment makes it look like you have healed, even if you still have pain or limitations.
- Creates Inconsistencies in Your Medical Records: Doctors note when patients miss appointments or refuse recommended treatment, and insurance adjusters use these notes against you.
- Damages Your Credibility: If your case goes to court, juries and judges may call your credibility into question if you failed to follow medical advice and continue your treatments.
- Hurts Your Ability to Be Fairly Compensated: Insurance companies use treatment gaps to reduce or deny settlements. Time gaps give them room to argue your injuries were never severe and didn’t need the level of care you are trying to claim.
How Long You Have to File a Car Crash Claim in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, you have just three years from the date of your car crash to file a civil lawsuit for your damages. Under this law, called the statute of limitations, you cannot miss this deadline. If you do, you permanently lose your right to recover any compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and lost wages – no matter how strong your case is or how badly you were hurt.
Building a compelling case takes time, no matter how good your attorney is, and evidence disappears quickly. Crash debris gets cleared away within hours. Surveillance footage from traffic cameras gets over written in a matter of days. Even witnesses with solid testimony becomes weaker over time. They have no vested interest in the outcome of your case and will very quickly begin to forget key details about what happened.
Don’t wait until the deadline is approaching to seek legal help. Give your case the best possible opportunity for success. Contact our trusted law firm in Milwaukee as soon after your crash as possible to protect your rights and preserve critical evidence.
Injured in a Milwaukee Car Crash? Call PKSD for Help With Your Injury Claim Today
At PKSD, our dedicated Milwaukee car accident attorneys fight for injured drivers every day, something we have been doing for over 25 years. We understand the physical, emotional, and financial stress that follows a serious car crash. Our highly qualified legal team is prepared to manage aspect of your injury claim, so you can fully focus on your recovery. We deal with aggressive insurance companies, gather critical evidence, and work tirelessly to secure full compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
You don’t need to deal with the legal process or insurance companies alone. Call PKSD, today to get started with a case evaluation. When we represent you, there are no upfront fees or out-of-pocket costs to pay. We take injury cases on contingence. This means you don’t pay our fees unless we win your case.
Call PKSD today. Let our family help yours. 414-333-3333
