How Soon Should You See a Doctor After a Car Accident in Brooklyn, NY?
According to the NYS Department of Health, auto accidents are one of the leading causes of hospitalization and ER visits in Brooklyn, NY.
Car accidents are traumatic events, and the body responds accordingly. When you’re in an accident, your body releases an abundance of adrenaline, and that can mask the pain from your injuries.
Due to the release of adrenaline, some people think they are fine and don’t need to visit a doctor. However, you should see a doctor after a car accident, even if you don’t notice any injuries right away.
Find out how soon you should see a doctor after a car accident and follow this schedule so that you can make a full recovery.
Serious Injuries Require Immediate Attention
If you’ve been in a serious accident and feel disoriented, have trouble walking, have a broken bone, or took a blow to your neck, back, or head, see the doctor immediately.
For serious injuries, you can take an ambulance to the nearest health care provider. The provider will run diagnostic tests to check the severity of your injuries and will also refer you to another provider for long-term assessment and care.
Serious neck, back, and head injuries and broken bones can be debilitating if you don’t go to the doctor immediately. You need a doctor to stabilize you so that you can be on the road to recovery.
Other Injuries – Visit Within 72 Hours
Even if you don’t notice any symptoms right away, visit the doctor within 72 hours of an automobile accident. Symptoms can be delayed and take weeks to appear, so it’s important to visit the doctor to make sure you don’t have a serious injury. Your car accident doctor will use diagnostic tools to check for injuries and can then create a care plan to help you heal.
Also, most PIP and No-Fault insurance companies view 72 hours as a reasonable timeframe to see a doctor after an accident. If you wait longer, it could hurt your claim.
What About Symptoms That Appear Later?
Some injuries might not be apparent immediately following an accident, even with diagnostic tools. If you notice symptoms weeks or months after the accident, go back to your doctor. Your doctor needs to document the new symptoms, run additional tests, and provide treatment. This will help you recover faster and is also necessary for insurance purposes.
Go to Your Follow-up Appointments
Your car accident doctor will provide you with a treatment schedule you must follow. The schedule might include several appointments a week if you are receiving chiropractic care. Go to all your follow-up appointments to ensure a speedy recovery. Also, keeping these appointments will help your case when making an insurance claim.
Don’t Wait to Receive Medical Care
After suffering the trauma of a car accident, you might want to lock yourself inside your house and decompress. However, you need to receive medical care quickly.
If your injuries are severe, go to the doctor right away. However, if your injuries appear minor, you can wait three days before seeing a doctor. Keep your follow-up appointments and report any new symptoms that appear. Your feedback will help the auto accident doctor provide you with the right treatment.
Call (718) 769-2521 today to make an appointment with a top Brooklyn auto accident doctor and get back on the road to recovery!