Per New Jersey law, you are legally obligated to report your car accident to the police if it caused you or another driver to experience an injury (or even death) or property damage estimated to exceed $500. Even if you could walk away without a scratch on your person or your vehicle, it is highly advisable to call for a police presence for good measure. At this time, an officer will ask if you would like them to dispatch an ambulance to transport you to a nearby emergency room, to which you should answer yes. Please follow along to find out why you should go to the hospital immediately after your car crash and how one of the proficient Bergen County auto accident attorneys at McNerney & McAuliffe can ensure you get the medical attention you need.
Why should I go to the hospital after my car crash?
Immediately after your car crash, your adrenaline and shock may temporarily block the pain you are experiencing. This is to say that you may have a fractured or broken bone that you do not even feel or realize. What’s more, there are certain types of injuries commonly associated with auto accidents (i.e., concussions, soft-tissue damage, and internal bleeding) that are not visible to the naked eye, with symptoms often arising at a delayed speed. Only professional medical equipment and testing protocols (i.e., MRIs and CT scans) may detect these injuries from early on.
All of this to say, for the sake of your personal health, it is in your best interest to visit the hospital straight from the scene of your accident. But also, if you wish to pursue a personal injury claim against the negligent driver or party later on, this emergency room visit may serve as pivotal medical evidence for your legal argument. Specifically, you may be able to demonstrate the severity of your injuries and how much it is going to cost you to make a full recovery, or if this is even a conceivable possibility.
What are the consequences of seeking delayed medical treatment?
To reiterate, delaying medical treatment may harm your physical health, as injuries that were once easily treatable may worsen and become life-altering, life-threatening, or life-ending. But in regard to your legal claim, this may give the defendant ammunition against you. For one, you may open up the opportunity for them to argue that your hospital visit was for a health concern or after an incident completely unrelated to the auto accident event, given the gap in between each date.
Secondly, the defendant may prompt the New Jersey court to consider whether your disclosed injuries are as serious as you have claimed. That is, it can be debated that if you are in such a great deal of pain, you would not have gone on with your life without medical aid for as long as you did. Lastly, they may request a full rundown of your medical history and attempt to debate that your injuries were pre-existing (i.e., you previously underwent a back surgery) and were only temporarily exacerbated after the crash event.
If you wish to explore your legal options moving forward, please allow one of the talented Bergen County personal injury attorneys from McNerney & McAuliffe to be your guiding force. Please schedule your initial consultation with our firm at the first chance you get.