When you are involved in a car accident, it almost always disrupts your life in one way or another. You may lose time at work…you may have to rent or borrow a car while yours is repaired, and in some cases, an injury sustained during the accident may cause even more serious and long-term life consequences.

Injuries due to car accidents are one of the main causes of injuries in the US. They range from the most minor of scratches, to serious life-threatening injuries that could lead to death if not treated immediately. Obviously if your injury is serious and visible, you should be transported to the hospital immediately following the accident. But what if the injury is not so severe or what if you don’t know you have an injury at all?  When should you visit a doctor after a car accident, if at all?

This question arises concerning the subject of car accidents frequently and it is one that can have both personal and legal repercussions. While you might think the scratch or bruise you received is nothing to worry about, or you may not even feel you have been injured at all, visiting the doctor soon after a car accident is an extremely wise decision for several reasons:

1. The adrenaline effect-When you are involved in a traumatic situation, your body will often release a chemical into your bloodstream known as adrenaline. This chemical can help you deal with the high levels of stress you are experiencing and while it can act as a safety mechanism (helping to numb pain, heighten senses and abilities to overcome the stressful situation) it can also act to hide injuries that exist but aren’t visible. People have been known to suffer serious bone fractures but weren’t aware of them because of the adrenaline affect. Therefore, it is common for some serious injuries to not be felt for some time later, even up to 2 or 3 days following a car accident.
2. Delayed injury awareness-Some injuries that occur during a car accident don’t make themselves known for some time after an accident regardless of the adrenaline effect. Muscle soreness, aches and pains, and of course the commonly cited auto accident injury WHIPLASH are a few of these. Your body may not register these injuries for hours and even days as part of their normal cycle, so while you may look and feel fine following an accident, an injury such as whiplash can cause severe pain and limit your mobility several days later.
3. Legal ramifications of not seeking medical treatment-Aside from the obvious reasons to visit a doctor to treat an injury, there are also legal reasons to do so immediately following a car accident. If you are in an accident and decide not to visit a doctor for several days, a week or even more, it may be viewed by an insurance company or opposing legal team that your injury is not that serious or even non-existent. It is recommended to never wait longer than 3 days at the most to visit a doctor or hospital following an auto accident.

While your health and well being is the number one issue, if you are involved in an accident, visiting a doctor immediately following the incident is always recommended. If the examination shows that you are 100% fine, then you will have that peace of mind. However, if an injury is discovered or a known one is treated, this can help ensure a much quicker and complete recovery and protect you in the instance that a lawsuit arises from the accident.