Do You Need To See A Doctor After Your Accident?
Many times, truck accident injuries are painfully obvious, but they can also be temporarily masked by the rush of emotions and adrenaline following a truck accident. In such situations, you might not realize you need medical treatment. However, knowing when to see a doctor after a truck accident is crucial if legal action becomes necessary for your claim.
Tractor-trailers, flatbeds, tankers, and dump trucks are just a few of the massive commercial vehicles causing catastrophic accidents on today’s roadways. Just the sheer weight and impact of these large trucks causes significant jarring and damaging effects on the bodies of unsuspecting accident victims.
If you’ve been in a truck accident, you should seek medical treatment and get in touch with a lawyer immediately. At Fried Goldberg, our attorneys understand exactly what is needed in order to ensure thorough preparation for your case. Contact us at (877) 591-1801 if you or a loved one were injured in a truck accident. In the past ten years, we have obtained over 100 verdicts and settlements in commercial vehicle lawsuits exceeding $1 million each.
Visiting the Doctor Creates a Paper Trail for Your Injuries and Losses
Seeking medical attention as soon as possible after a truck accident can protect you both physically and legally, now and in the future. If you decide to file a claim against the negligent parties, your medical and pharmacy records, accompanying photos, and other documentation will play a strong role in the outcome of your case.
Visiting a doctor creates medical records, which can be used as proof that you took every precaution you could to get treatment for injuries after a car accident. These documents will be crucial if you decide to file a claim in the near future.
Injuries can develop in a variety of ways and at different rates. Brain injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries, might not manifest until weeks or even months after a truck accident. For this reason, it is important that you schedule follow up treatments after your initial visits, and that you return to the doctor if you begin feeling symptoms after a truck accident, even if it is months later.
Lastly, be sure to review all medical records and reports that you receive from your doctor. Inform them of any errors or incomplete information, and make sure your records are updated to reflect your current situation. If you need assistance with this or have questions about when to see a doctor, a qualified truck accident attorney can help review your documents for you.
The Pain May Be Delayed
Visiting a doctor as soon as possible after a truck accident is crucial, even if you have no obvious aches, pains, bumps, or lacerations. You may have one or more of these common truck accident injuries and not know it:
Soft Tissue Damage
Muscles, ligaments, and tendons can be severely damaged, yet hidden from the human eye. Because of this, tears, sprains, and whiplash are often brushed off as being minor when they’re not.
Head Injuries
The stress alone from a truck accident can cause a headache, but it shouldn’t be dismissed as part of the recovery; it could be a serious brain injury. Symptoms include headaches, cloudy thinking, dizziness, lack of energy, blurry vision, and inability to concentrate.
Spinal Injuries
Jostling the body around can have a tragic effect on the spine. Untreated spinal cord damage can lead to a lifetime of weakness or paralysis. The spine supports the body and damage to it should not be overlooked.
Mental Anguish
Usually caused by extreme trauma or pain, your mental state is a critical part of your overall health and should be assessed by a doctor.
If You Delay Treatment, the Cause of Injury May Come Into Question
Say your car was struck by a commercial truck, and instead of seeing a doctor immediately, you decided to wait a few days to see a doctor. Because you waited, the other party might claim:
- Your injuries were caused by something else besides the accident: For instance, if you have back pain, they may claim that something happened in between the truck accident and your doctor’s visit that caused back pain.
- The injury was there before the accident: They may try to claim that you had a pre-existing injury. The other party might try to point to previous pain or treatment as evidence that they did not cause your injuries.
- You are making up or imagining the pain: The other party and their insurance representatives may question, “If the pain is so bad now, why didn’t you visit a doctor immediately after the accident?”
For your best legal protection, you should see a doctor immediately after a truck accident to get a medical opinion. This shows that you were serious enough about any potential injuries or pain to get treatment. If emergency services are offered at the scene of the accident, you should make use of them.
Failing to take these steps might cause the negligent party to assume your injuries are not serious, and they may offer you a smaller settlement as a result. Understanding when to see a doctor can greatly affect the compensation for your losses.
Be Aware and Be Prepared After a Large Truck Accident
Seeing a doctor and speaking to a qualified truck accident attorney offers the best protection possible in a truck accident case. Specialized truck attorneys know the ins and outs of intricate state and federal trucking laws in order to effectively protect you, your health, and your future.
If you were injured or suffered the loss of a family member in a truck accident, we are deeply sorry for your pain during this difficult time. If you would like to discuss your potential case, please contact us today at (877) 591-1801 or complete this form for a free, no-obligation consultation. We are here to help in this time of need.
Additional Truck Accident FAQs
How long after a truck accident can you sue?
You only have a limited time to file a truck accident lawsuit. In most cases, you will have two years from the time of the accident to file a lawsuit. In the same way that failing to seek medical treatment can harm your case, a delay in filing a lawsuit can also negatively affect your chances at recovery. Be sure to obtain legal representation as soon as possible after a truck accident.
What type of compensation is available in a truck accident lawsuit?
Every truck accident lawsuit is unique, and compensation will depend on the types of injuries and other factors. A competent truck accident lawyer will be able to secure a damages award that covers:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of the ability to generate income
- Costs of additional treatment or therapy
- Various other expenses
Again, if you wait or delay in contacting a doctor and a lawyer, it could affect the amount of damages you are awarded, or your ability to collect compensation altogether.
When should I get an attorney after a truck accident?
You should contact an attorney as soon as possible after a truck accident. The other side will likely be formulating their case already, so it’s best if you begin preparations as soon as possible. A lawyer can also assist with various tasks, such as gathering medical documents and witness statements to be used for your case.
If your loved one was injured in a truck accident and they are incapacitated, you may need to contact a lawyer on their behalf. Doing so can help get the process started of collecting medical records and other necessary steps. Contact the Truck Accident Attorneys at Fried Goldberg at (877) 431-8891 for legal representation for your case. Our attorneys have the experience needed to ensure you receive the highest compensation for your claim.
Client Testimonials
“I am delighted to recommend Brian Mohs with Fried Rogers Goldberg, LLC after working with him for a year following a major vehicle accident. For nearly ten years I traveled approximately 600 miles back-and-forth to work each week without incident, until I was struck by a careless truck driver.
Brian thoroughly handled every aspect of my case with quality care. His experience and superior research and analytics greatly benefited the outcome of my case. He is delightfully personable and especially easy to trust. I recommend him highly if you should need an incredibly competent trucking attorney!”
– H. Hicks
“Briant Mindenhall was our family’s attorney during a horrible time after the loss of my brother due to a trucking accident. My family lives in Virginia and while they are located in Georgia we were referred to them by a family member. Briant is a very patient, smart and caring person. The entire staff at Fried Goldberg was very knowledgeable and companionate. They were always available and went above and beyond to work on our case.
There really are no words to express our gratitude for how wonderful our experience was with this firm and Briant. We all felt like we had a big family backing us up and helping us get through this ordeal!”
-G. Williams
Verdicts and Settlements
$52 Million – Brain Injury
Our lawyers helped obtain a $52 million award for a teen who suffered severe brain injury when a tractor-trailer ran a stop sign in Atlanta, Georgia.
$20.25 Million – Multiple Fractures
We returned a $20.25 million award for a woman who suffered multiple fractures requiring multiple surgeries when a wheel came off a tractor-trailer and hit her vehicle head-on in North Georgia.