Pennsylvania gives you up to two years after an injury to file a personal injury claim. However, it’s important to seek treatment promptly for the following reasons.
Support a potential personal injury claim
If the court determines your injuries worsened because you didn’t see a doctor quickly enough or you didn’t follow your treatment plan, then they may assign a higher percentage of responsibility to you for your injuries. This means a lower compensation.
Diagnose hidden injuries
Some people feel fine directly after car accidents because of the adrenaline. Days or weeks later, they may feel excruciating pain. They might also experience more mild symptoms like headaches and nausea which are signs of a traumatic brain injury, a serious condition. Internal bleeding is another injury that may not initially show symptoms after the car accident. When you do notice the symptoms, your condition has already worsened.
Speed up insurance claims
Most insurance companies process your insurance claim faster if you see a doctor within 72 hours of your car accident. When you take longer than their reasonable time frame to get a checkup, they might not offer you as much compensation.
Protect your health
Delaying treatment for some injuries could cause them to turn into lifelong, debilitating or more painful conditions. Traumatic brain injuries are an example of a type of injury that could seem mild in the beginning but suddenly take a turn for the worse when it’s untreated. Another factor is there’s often a long wait time to see a specialist. Thus, you’ll want to know as soon as possible that you need to see a specialist if you do.
There’s no way to know if you have a serious injury after a car accident without going to the doctor unless you have noticeable immediate symptoms. The legal system also considers how quickly you scheduled a doctor’s appointment when assessing your personal injury claim. Seeing a doctor after an accident is important for both your health and your finances.