You should still see a doctor after a minor wreck because injuries are still common, and even likely, in low-speed car accidents that cause little to no damage to the cars.

This is because people rarely see an accident coming before being struck, resulting in no time to prepare and brace themselves for impact.

So, we always recommend getting checked by a professional physician or chiropractor after a wreck to be certain that you do not have any underlying injuries that are not presenting symptoms yet due to the release of adrenaline following the accident. Even if it's a minor accident it's a good idea to be checked out by a medical professional to ensure that you weren't injured.

In this blog, we discuss why it is important to see a chiropractor after an auto accident, no matter how minor it was.

Should I See A Doctor After a Minor Car Accident?

The answer is yes, injured (and seemingly uninjured) victims of minor car accidents should always see a doctor after a collision, even minor accidents.

We recommend for your health, safety, and well-being to get checked by an experienced doctor after a minor car accident, regardless of the presence of symptoms.

You want to be certain that you do not have any underlying injuries that are not presenting symptoms yet due to the release of adrenaline following the accident.

Meeting with a doctor after a car accident and receiving immediate medical treatment is the only way to make sure you don't have any injuries.

Understanding Your Body's Response to a Car Accident

The impact of a car crash can produce a great force that results in a serious shock to the body.

The human body is not meant to endure that kind of impact, therefore usually leading to a serious injury.

Even in a low-speed car accident that causes little to no damage to the vehicles, injuries are still common and even likely.

This is because people rarely see an accident coming before being struck, resulting in no time to prepare and brace themselves for impact.

This means accident victims will almost always suffer from whiplash or another kind of soft tissue injury because the sudden impact causes a violent jerking of the neck and body.

Proactively Treat Injuries That May Not Be Presenting Any Pain Symptoms Yet

Many individuals and car accident victims do not realize that chemicals in the body mask many pain and severe injury symptoms.

This is a direct response to the trauma you suffered in the crash.

Therefore, it is common that a few days or even weeks later, your pain symptoms will begin to appear and grow increasingly worse if left untreated.

That is why it should be your number one priority to see a doctor after a car accident no matter the severity or presence of injury and pain symptoms.

Click here to learn more about what to do after being injured in a car accident in Georgia.

How Long Do You Have To See A Doctor After an Auto Accident?

If you don't think your car accident injuries are severe enough to get you to see a doctor right away, the cold, hard process insurance companies use to determine compensation should be.

You will likely be in touch with a claims adjuster after your car accident, but most of the real insurance adjusting is done by a computer program that will be fed data about your car accident and injuries.

One important piece of data that could increase your odds of recovering fair compensation is whether you sought medical attention in a “reasonable” amount of time after the accident.

Most insurance companies consider 72 hours to be reasonable. So for insurance purposes, you have 72 hours to seek medical attention before you risk a serious reduction in the compensation you receive for your car accident injuries.

If you can’t get in with your primary care physician within 72 hours to receive medical attention, you can try some alternatives.

One popular option is to go to an urgent care clinic or emergency room where you can be seen right away.

You may pay more out-of-pocket for an appointment at an urgent care ore emergency room than you would with your regular doctor, but you can submit the bill to the insurer for compensation.

For insurance purposes, seeing a chiropractor within the first 72 hours is treated the same as seeing a doctor.

The Importance of Medical Records in Your Accident Injury Lawsuit

If you plan to have the negligent driver that caused the accident pay for your medical bills and treatments, then you need to have valid records documenting your injuries and necessary treatments immediately following the accident. Accident reports, along with police reports that were started at the scene of the accident help your claims process.

These records are needed for filing a claim with the insurance company.

After two weeks, if you still have not received a medical diagnosis or treatment, it will become increasingly more difficult to prove you were not in your accident.

The insurance company will argue that your injuries were presented too far after the accident occurred and that they must be from another cause, alleviating them from fault and requiring you to pay for your medical treatments.

Therefore, if you wish to receive compensation for your pain and suffering in addition to your medical bills, we can not stress enough the importance of visiting a doctor or personal injury chiropractor to treat your injuries and create proper accident report, and documentation of records for the insurance company to reference.

How Lack of Medical Treatment After an Accident Can Be a Complicated Legal Issue

If you have been in a car accident that was undoubtedly someone else's fault, you may be wondering how getting your medical treatment paid for after a crash, no matter when you received it, could turn into a complicated legal issue.

Well, unfortunately, the insurance company will make it their top priority to discredit your claim and diminish the severity of your injuries, especially if you wait a while before seeking medical attention.

We understand the pain and injury symptoms do not always present themselves immediately, but generally, insurance companies will assume that if you did not see a doctor following the accident that you weren’t that hurt.

The insurance companies follow standard criteria to evaluate all types of injuries and the severity of those injuries.

One of the most important criteria is how quickly you sought and received medical treatment after the wreck occurred.

Insurers are reluctant to pay injured victims compensation because they feel that if a great amount of time passes between the car crash and the initial medical treatment, the likelier it is that the claimant could be faking or exaggerating the extent of their injuries, to receive more money in their settlement.

Contact Our Premier Auto Accident Chiropractors for Help

If you have been injured in a car accident in Georgia, call Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinic.

Our professional team of doctors specializes in auto collision injuries and we work with insurance companies to help you receive compensation for your medical treatment.