If you’re involved in an accident, you may be surprised to find that you feel okay after. As such, you deny medical care at the scene of the accident because it seems unnecessary. However, as the days progress, you may find that you feel worse and worse. Unfortunately, some accident injuries may be delayed, and you’ll find that this could potentially impact the outcome of your case. If this reflects your circumstances, it’s in your best interest to keep reading to learn more about these matters and how an Ouachita Parish, Louisiana personal injury attorney can help you fight for the compensation you deserve if you’ve been hurt due to another person’s negligence.
Why Might Accident Injuries Take a While to Appear?
When you are involved in an accident, you may be shocked to find that you feel fine immediately afterward. In many instances, you’ll find that this is caused by our body’s natural reaction to these incidents. You’ll typically feel adrenaline following an accident, as this will help mask any pain you may experience so you can adequately respond to the accident and get yourself to safety.
On the other hand, some injuries take a while to manifest because of the nature of the injury. For example, some soft tissue injuries may not appear immediately because the swelling associated with them is not visible at first. In other cases, such as with concussions, they can take time to appear. This is because they may start out as mild and unnoticeable, but grow worse over time as a result of the lack of treatment.
Can This Impact the Outcome of My Claim?
It’s important to understand that in many instances, you’ll find that a lack of medical care following an accident can unfortunately impact the outcome of your personal injury case. For example, you’ll find that if you fail to get medical treatment at the scene of the accident or the days following, the defense can claim that you failed to mitigate your injuries. This means you would technically have contributed to the damages you sustained from the accident, and thus your compensation can be reduced because of Louisiana’s comparative negligence laws. As such, the compensation you can receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault for failing to seek medical care.
If you are involved in an accident, the best thing you can do is seek medical attention, even if you feel okay. This can help to establish the fact that you’ve received medical care for the injuries so you can rest assured that you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect yourself in the event you wish to pursue a claim against the other party.
Navigating a lawsuit can be incredibly difficult, especially when you are trying to heal from an injury. That’s why it’s in your best interest to connect with an experienced attorney from Breithuapt, DuBos, & Wolleson, LLC. We understand how frustrating these matters can be which is why we will do everything possible to assist you during these complicated times. Connect with us today to learn more.
