Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident If I’m Not Hurt?

Even if you believe you’re not hurt after a car accident, you should still see a doctor anyway. In the immediate aftermath of the car crash, people often have so much adrenaline in their bodies that they may not notice their injuries. Once the shock wears off, though, the pain and limited mobility become clearer. Even if the crash seemed minor, a doctor could assure you that you didn’t suffer any significant trauma from the impact of the collision that the adrenaline is masking. And if the first responders recommend that you go to the hospital in an ambulance, you certainly should follow the advice of these experts.

Best Reasons to See a Doctor After a Car Accident

Multiple reasons exist for visiting a doctor for an exam right after involvement in a car accident.

Catching Delayed-Onset Injuries

The symptoms for some injuries that occur in a car accident – such as internal bleeding, whiplash, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – often are delayed-onset injuries. This means the symptoms can show up hours, days, or even weeks after the accident. If you have one of these dangerous injuries, a doctor may be able to diagnose it before your symptoms are obvious.

Even if you don’t see a doctor immediately after the crash, you should visit one within a day or two. You then can feel confident you actually have no injuries, or, if the doctor diagnoses you with a potential delayed-onset injury, you can begin recovering before your symptoms worsen.

You Can Begin Treatment Quickly

Many people have significant soreness and reduced range of motion the day after a car accident. Even for people who feel fine after the crash, they might notice soreness after a night of sleep. Rather than putting up with this discomfort unnecessarily, seeing a doctor may help you receive some relief, even if your injuries are not all that severe.

Doctor Exams Establish a Baseline

When you see a doctor after your car accident, even when you believe you don’t have injuries, you have an official record of your current levels of pain and mobility. Should your condition worsen over several days, your doctor can clearly see how much your health deteriorated from the first examination, which may help with your diagnosis.

Never Assume Injury Levels by the Car Crash Damage Levels

After a car crash, some people may believe they couldn’t possibly have injuries because the airbags did not deploy or because the damage to the two vehicles is minimal. However, the level of damage doesn’t always tell the entire story. As car accident injury lawyers serving Minneapolis, we’ve seen accidents where our clients had life-changing injuries in a crash where airbags did not deploy. We’ve also seen accidents that had minor injuries after all the airbags in the car deployed.

Certainly, vehicle damage and airbag deployment can provide clues as to the levels of injuries for passengers when first responders arrive and assess the scene. First responders may even provide advice about whether you should go to the hospital in an ambulance based on the damage to the vehicles. However, the only way to be certain about your injuries is through seeing a doctor as early as possible after the crash.

Seeing a Doctor After a Car Accident Maintains Your Ability to Make an Injury Claim

If you didn’t believe you had injuries in the aftermath of the car crash, you may have no thoughts about filing a personal injury lawsuit. You might even tell the police officers who respond to the crash that you are uninjured. However, several hours later after the adrenaline wears off, your pain is significant. You now believe you might have serious injuries.

You should always see a doctor as soon as you notice the pain from potential injuries. Even if it’s a couple of days after the crash, seeing a doctor in an emergency room or seeing your personal doctor is important. Not only can you begin receiving treatment for your injuries by seeing a doctor quickly – and hopefully gain some pain relief – but you also can keep your ability to file a personal injury lawsuit alive.

You must have a doctor diagnose you with injuries to give yourself a chance at filing and winning a personal injury lawsuit for the crash. Insurance companies are not going to simply take your word about your injuries and how debilitating they are for you. A doctor’s official diagnosis has to back up your injury claim. Even if your injury car accident occurs out of state or far away from your home, you should see a doctor as soon after the crash as possible. Whether you immediately travel home to see your own doctor or you see a doctor in the state where you are, this exam is a vital first step toward trying to regain your health.

Even If Your Injury Symptoms Show Up Later, You Can Still File a Personal Injury Claim

Some people believe that they no longer have the opportunity to file a personal injury claim if they told police right after the crash that they didn’t have injuries. This is not true. Having a doctor diagnose you with injuries after a day or two keeps your ability to file a personal injury claim alive, regardless of what you told police right after the crash while your adrenaline levels were still high and possibly masking your pain.

Our St. Paul Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You After an Injury Collision That Wasn’t Your Fault

If you do end up with injuries that cause you to miss work or with bills for medical treatment related to the crash, you may want to file a personal injury lawsuit. When you did not do anything wrong to cause the accident or when the other driver was primarily at fault, you have the right to seek a personal injury financial award. The St. Paul car accident lawyers at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law have the experience you can trust to fight for your best possible outcome.

For advice on seeing a doctor or returning to work after your car accident, call our St. Paul personal injury lawyers today at 651-259-1113. We offer a free case review.

Attorney Isaac Tyroler

Attorney Isaac Tyroler has been a strong advocate for injured people his entire legal career. He has a passion for righting wrongs, and he deeply cares about representing injured clients who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to navigate the legal system. He is compassionate toward clients and aggressive with insurance companies and defendants. He is on the elected Board of Governors of the Minnesota Association of Justice (MAJ), the top personal injury lawyers’ group in Minnesota. And is currently the chair of MAJ’s legislative committee. [ Attorney Bio ]