There Is No Legal Time Limit, But Delays Can Hurt Your Case
When someone is hurt in a car accident, there is no legal deadline for seeing a doctor. But to recover compensation for injuries caused by a negligent driver, your medical care must be clearly related to the accident. That connection becomes harder to prove if you wait too long to get treatment.
Why You Should See a Doctor Even If You Feel Fine
If you were recently involved in a car crash, get medical attention even if you think you are okay. Many injuries take days or weeks to show symptoms. It is actually very common not to feel pain right away after a crash, and we explain that here: I did not feel pain at the time can I still file a claim?
If you wait months to see a doctor, the insurance company may argue that your injuries came from something other than the accident.
If you are hurt, getting checked out right away helps identify injuries before they get worse and protects your claim from being denied.
How Delays Affect How Your Injuries Are Viewed
Insurance companies and juries expect injured people to get medical treatment soon after a crash. If you did not go to the ER or see a doctor shortly after the accident, they will question whether you were truly injured.
Early treatment creates the medical documentation needed to show your injuries were caused by the crash.
Serious Injuries Often Require Lifelong Care
Some car accidents cause severe, life changing injuries that require ongoing medical treatment. You do not need to complete all of your future treatment before your case settles or goes to trial.
In serious cases, we work with experts, life care planners, and physicians to evaluate your long term medical needs. They examine you and determine the future care you will require so those costs can be included in your case.
There is no time limit on future treatment, but those costs have to be part of your settlement.
There is no time limit on future medical care. But the present value of that future treatment must be included in your settlement or verdict. Once your case is resolved, you cannot go back and ask for more money for medical bills that were not accounted for.
If you have questions about your injuries or the next steps after a car accident, reach out. We can look at your situation and guide you toward the right plan.
Call 202-393-3320 or book your free consultation here: Book Free Consultation.
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