It’s an understatement to say that car accidents, especially those causing serious injuries, are an inconvenience. They are life-changing events you cannot plan for that alter the trajectory of your health, career, and family life. In addition to missing work due to their injuries, many car crash victims face further frustrations navigating the American healthcare system. Injured claimants must take additional time off work for doctor’s visits, follow-up appointments, massages, chiropractic care, and multiple physical therapy sessions each week. Too many car accident victims stop treating for their injuries not because they’re out of pain but because it’s overwhelming.
Unfortunately, failing to obtain necessary medical treatment for your accident injuries can prevent you from claiming damages from the negligent driver or substantially reduce your overall settlement. Experienced attorneys understand how difficult it can be to find medical professionals who accept your insurance, provide quality care, and have appointments that fit into your schedule. If you have questions regarding what type of doctors you need to see after a car accident, contact a local personal injury law firm to discuss your claims.
Common Car Crash Injuries
The medical professionals needed after a motor vehicle collision depend on the type of injuries sustained. Many auto accident claimants suffer from the following conditions requiring specialized medical care.
Ruptured and Herniated Discs
Spinal cord injuries, including neck and back pain, are the most common serious car accident injuries. The impact force, especially during rear-end collisions, and the victim’s age generally dictate the severity of spinal cord trauma. High-speed collisions and accidents involving heavy trucks send shockwaves through passengers’ bodies. These shock waves often cause the jelly-like intervertebral discs to slip or burst, pressing on nearby nerves and causing vertebrae to rub together. Common conditions associated with ruptured discs include:
- Lower back pain
- Discomfort
- Weakness
- Nerve pain
- Numbness
- Sharp and burning pain in arms or legs
- Sciatica
Patients suffering from back pain often struggle with activities of daily living, including sitting, standing, lying down, walking, bending, or reaching. Many car accident victims are unable to remain in the same position for extended periods, as each posture change puts pressure on injured vertebrae and nerves. Spinal cord injuries can be difficult to treat, often requiring patients to seek care from neurologists, chiropractors, and spinal surgeons. If you cannot work due to back or neck pain from a car crash, contact an attorney to discuss your options for obtaining financial damages.
Whiplash
Whiplash occurs when the accident force snaps the victim’s head suddenly forward, straining the tendons in the neck and upper back. Whiplash is extremely painful but often latent due to the post-accident adrenaline rush. Car crash victims may leave the scene of the accident without any apparent injuries and wake up the next morning with extreme neck pain. Although whiplash is treatable with massage and chiropractic care, the pain can mask a more serious underlying condition. You should go to the emergency room for scans if you’re suffering from extreme neck pain after a car crash to ensure you did not injure your spinal cord. A car accident lawyer can obtain no-fault or other auto insurance benefits to cover the initial treatment associated with post-accident neck and upper back pain.
Paralysis
Serious spinal cord injuries – often those resulting from semi-truck, high-speed, or drunk-driving accidents – can cause irreversible damage to the spinal nerves. This generally occurs if the force of the accident results in a broken neck or brain stem injury. Because brain signals travel through the nerves in the spinal cord, damage to one of these essential nerves will block all brain signals from traveling below the damaged area. This often results in paraplegia or quadriplegia. If you suffer from complete or partial paralysis, you will likely require lifetime medical and rehabilitative care. This includes remaining under the treatment of neurologists, physical and occupational therapists, pain management specialists, and home nurses. Contact a local catastrophic injury lawyer immediately to discuss your options for obtaining compensation if you were paralyzed in a car crash.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Car accidents, including falls resulting from pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle crashes, are one of the leading causes of brain injuries. These injuries may range from minor concussions, such as hitting your head on the steering wheel, to comas and even brain death. Serious brain injuries often require immediate surgical intervention, as brain bleeds may cause fluid to build up between the brain and skull. This fluid puts pressure on the brain, cutting off essential oxygen. Most long-term brain injuries result from oxygen deprivation, as brain cells begin dying within only a few minutes.
Claimants suffering from TBIs often need a neurologist, brain surgeon, and numerous physical, speech, and occupational therapists. The type of therapy needed generally depends on the part of the brain damaged. Because the brain is so complex, claimants often experience serious sensory, physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms, including:
- Speech problems
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood disorders
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
- Light and sound sensitivity
- Depression and anxiety
- Inability to concentrate
- Coma
- Death
It is difficult to determine the long-term impact of a brain injury early in the treatment process, as even claimants with minor brain injuries can develop post-concussion syndrome. Brain trauma is considered a serious car accident injury, and you should discuss your insurance settlement options with legal counsel.
Facial Fractures
The speed at which an airbag must deploy often causes facial fractures. Car accident victims can also suffer from facial damage due to broken glass or dashboard impacts. These injuries require specialist care with plastic or maxillofacial surgeons. Even though facial injuries are seldom life-threatening, they can result in significant medical bills because insurance often denies coverage for cosmetic procedures. This can include refusing to cover post-operative treatment to reduce scarring and restore your appearance. An attorney can recover damages for reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries, especially if the scarring is impacting your mental health. Significant scarring is considered a serious injury even in no-fault states, and you can be entitled to all necessary damages to restore your appearance from negligent parties.
Third-Degree Burns and Friction Burns
Car fires and motorcycle accidents often result in burn injuries. Serious burns require extensive in-patient care and treatment with plastic surgeons, wound care specialists, pain management doctors, dermatologists, and physical therapists. Many patients in burn units have a high risk of infection and may suffer lung damage due to smoke inhalation, requiring additional respiratory therapy.
As with any medical treatment, the goal is to help patients reach maximum medical improvement. Dedicated personal injury lawyers can obtain needed financial damages while you’re still treating for car accident injuries. You do not need to complete the treatment process before reaching out to an attorney. If you suffered from one of the above serious injuries in a crash, discuss your options for obtaining auto insurance compensation with legal counsel.
Seek Immediate and Long-Term Medical Care After Motor Vehicle Accidents
Claimants seriously injured by negligent drivers often require both short-term and long-term medical care. It’s important to seek treatment immediately following a crash, even for seemingly minor injuries. This protects your health and links the injuries sustained to the motor vehicle collision. If you’re wondering what type of doctor to see after a car accident, here are some guidelines:
Emergency Room Physicians and Walk-in Clinics
After a devastating car accident, immediately see an emergency room physician for a full assessment. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that over 10 percent of all emergency room visits are car accident related, and ER doctors see nearly 4 million motor vehicle accident victims each year. Emergency medicine doctors are highly trained to assess and handle car accident injuries, and you should present to the nearest ER immediately if you sustained head trauma, serious burns, or a spinal cord injury. Scans may show internal damage, such as brain bleeding or potential swelling in the spine, that can be treated before causing additional trauma.
Many localities also have 24/7 walk-in clinics, which are normally staffed by an ER doctor. If you do not want to wait at the ER for a non-life-threatening injury, you should still present to a local emergency clinic for an assessment. This has the added benefit of creating a medical record immediately linking the injury sustained to the car crash, which is critical for obtaining needed insurance benefits.
Primary Care Physicians (PCP)
Even if you went to the hospital, you should still see your PCP after a crash. They are a great resource for walking you through your treatment options and referring you to medical specialists who take your insurance. You might also request that all providers send copies of your medical records to your PCP, who you can always refer to with questions and concerns.
Medical Specialists and Surgeons
Most hospitals have specialists on staff to perform emergency surgery and examinations. However, car accident victims should consider working with legal counsel to research the best local specialist for their injuries. You may need to see one of the following medical specialists following a serious car crash:
- Neurologist
- Orthopedist
- OBGYN
- Neurosurgeon
- Plastic surgeon
- Dermatologist
- Psychologist
- Pediatrician (children)
Not only can your specialist provide essential treatment, but they can also become an expert medical witness during legal proceedings. The right doctor will work closely with your lawyer to ensure the best holistic outcome in your case.
Pain Management Doctors
Serious spinal cord injuries, burns, and fractures often require long-term pain management care. Your doctor may recommend seeking treatment with a pain management specialist, generally an anesthesiologist if you’ve reached maximum medical improvement but are struggling with chronic pain.
Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, and Acupuncturists
Claimants suffering from disabling back and neck injuries, including slipped discs and neck strains, often benefit from multiple visits with these specialists each week. Many chiropractic cases involve car accident injuries, and you should continue recommended treatment with these providers to ease your discomfort during the claims process.
Nursing and Rehabilitation Professionals
Most treatment for serious car accident injuries involves rehabilitation specialists, including physical, cognitive, and occupational therapists. Rehabilitating from serious medical trauma is a full-time job and frequently results in the patient’s inability to work during rehab. An experienced legal professional can recover your lost income and benefits after a car crash, including the time you must take off for treatment and doctor’s visits.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help Me with Post-Accident Treatment and Medical Questions?
While a local car accident lawyer cannot answer medical questions, reputable law firms can put you at ease about the financial aspects of your case. They may also help you find local doctors who accept your insurance, including no-fault insurance, and can request your medical records to file an insurance claim while you focus on your treatment. Importantly, your attorney will fight to obtain valuable compensation from liable drivers and insurers to cover the following common medical expenses after car accidents:
- Ambulance bills
- Emergency room costs
- Surgeries and surgical center fees
- Specialist consultations
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Home nursing costs
- In-patient nursing facility fees
- Medications
- Medical equipment
- Home modifications
Additionally, experienced car accident lawyers also work with multiple local doctors and medical specialists. They can connect you with a trusted physician who provided quality care to previous clients and help locate expert medical witnesses to prove your entitlement to damages. If insurance questions come up during treatment, especially if you’re preparing for reconstructive surgery, personal injury lawyers can also advocate for your legal rights.
Connect With a Local Car Accident Attorney to Discuss Your Medical Claims
On top of fighting for your right to obtain medical compensation from liable drivers, a car accident attorney can also demand the value of any lost income incurred due to your injuries, treatment schedule, and even the pain and inconvenience caused by the trauma. There is no cost associated with contacting a local car accident attorney after your motor vehicle accident, especially if you’re unsure what type of doctor to see after a car crash.
