Medical Treatment After a Car Accident: What Floridians Should Know

Many times after a Florida car accident, victims are shocked and sometimes even embarrassed, and they’ll refuse immediate medical care. Whatever their reasons, this is to be avoided if you find yourself in a fender bender or something more severe. Too many times, accident victims are more concerned about their vehicles than their personal health. This inaction can come back to bite them later.

If you’re a Central Florida resident involved in a car accident but aren’t exactly sure if you’re entitled to compensation, an Ocala car accident attorney at Meldon Law can help. During a free consultation, their team of car crash legal experts can determine what your next move should be.

Why Medical Treatment Is Important After an Accident

Other than obvious severe injuries that need immediate life-saving medical attention, there are some accident victims who flat-out refuse medical care. This is a foolish thing to do for several reasons. However, some car accident victims will let embarrassment or pride get in the way of getting checked out by a medical professional. Not seeking medical care after an accident can come back to haunt victims both medically and financially. Let’s take a look at why this is so.

Delayed Symptoms

During the moment of impact from an unexpected car accident, our bodies kick into “fight or flight” mode. Adrenaline and endorphins immediately flood the body and put it into a state of readiness to deal with the traumatic event that’s unfolding. When this happens, accident victims may suddenly feel a burst of energy or heightened awareness, both of which are beneficial during times of stress.

Unfortunately, these chemicals can also do an incredibly good job of masking pain. Adrenaline can hide the pain from whiplash and other soft tissue injuries along with hard tissue injuries like hairline fractures or even worse. It can sometimes take days before the victim of a car accident begins to notice that they did sustain injuries.

Florida PIP Insurance

Florida is one of the many no-fault states that require drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on their vehicle’s insurance policy. If you’re injured in a Florida car accident, regardless of who’s at fault, injured parties are required to use their own car insurance policy to seek compensation for medical bills. PIP insurance will cover 80% of a victim’s medical expenses.

However, there is a time limit for seeking medical attention that will be covered by your PIP insurance. Any person injured in a Florida car wreck must seek medical care within 14 days of the accident. Failure to do so will result in any medical bills submitted to their insurance company to be denied.

Car Accident Personal Injury Lawsuits

While PIP insurance may be somewhat easy to deal with, it doesn’t cover 100% of your medical bills and won’t cover much of your loss of income if you’re unable to work. It does cover lost wages, but will only pay out 60% and is capped at $10,000. If your injuries are severe and you’ll be out of work for an extended period of time, PIP won’t provide much.

To file a successful car accident personal injury lawsuit, you’ll have the burden of proving that the accident caused severe injuries and financial hardships. A big part of this is showing that your injuries were severe enough to seek medical treatment. Winning a personal injury settlement will be judged on how quickly you sought out medical treatment. Any delay in seeking help will be seen as a lack of severe injuries.

However, it’s medically proven that there are certain car accident-related injuries that may not present themselves immediately. These medical conditions are well within the range of being acceptable to seek delayed care. Some of the more common ones can include:

• Concussion
• Whiplash
• Back pain
• Internal bleeding
• Psychological injuries

Car Accidents and Medical Treatment: What You Need To Know

Florida residents who’ve been involved in a car crash should always seek medical treatment as soon as possible. The shock of the impact can sometimes mask injuries, but most will make themselves known within a couple of days. For victims seeking compensation for medical bills and other damages, seeking medical attention becomes critical. To obtain compensation for medical bills, the clock starts ticking from the moment the accident occurred.

Floridians who are uncertain if they have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit should contact an experienced car accident attorney. Under their legal guidance, they can evaluate your case and determine how to get the best possible compensation.

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