Have you ever been in an auto accident? Auto accidents can affect any of us, whether you are a driver, passenger or a pedestrian, causing injury or death.
Many auto accidents are caused by driver negligence, such as not following road rules or driving faulty vehicles. However, a smaller percentage is caused through no fault of our own.
Auto accidents can cause significant damage to people and property, and consequently, create hefty bills. You may need to repair or replace your car, pay for hospital bills and insurance payments. These are unexpected bills that most of us do not have the funds to deal with.
Knowing how to deal with auto accident injuries will help you avoid or reduce these expenses.
In this article, we will advise you on the top things to consider where auto accident injuries are concerned. Hopefully, it will help you to avoid unnecessary hospital bills, insurance charges, and trouble with the law or other motorists after an accident.
What are auto accident injuries?
Auto accident injuries are injuries you suffer after a car accident. They are categorized into two. These are impact injuries and penetrating injuries.
Impact injuries occur when a passenger in an auto accident bangs against the interior of a vehicle. For example, if a driver or passenger hits their head against a car interior.
Penetrating injuries happen when loose objects flying around during an accident hit a passenger. For example, when shattering parts of a car windscreen cut you up.
Impact and penetrating injuries in a car accident can be severe. They must be diagnosed and treated by a qualified medical professional immediately after they occur.
This is not only for the accident victim to get medical aid but also for the doctors to document the injuries.
Auto accident medical records are important because they help you to pursue compensation for loss of wages, medical expenses, and car damages after an accident.
Common auto accident injuries
The typical auto-car accident injuries are head, back, and neck injuries including concussions, whiplash, or traumatic brain injury.
Back injuries often occur after a collision, and can result in paralysis, slipped discs, and nerve damage. Back injuries usually require surgery or chiropractic treatment; otherwise, they can cause permanent physical damage.
There are also soft tissue injuries that can affect the ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and tendons.
Soft tissue injuries may manifest as bruises, cuts, scrapes, and damaged ligaments. They can impair bodily functions or cause deformities, scarring, and disfigurement.
In some cases, auto accidents can also result in burns. Victims of burns require extensive treatment, such as skin grafting, to heal.
There are also those who lose their limbs during or after an accident. Such life-altering injuries may require you to get prostheses or undergo extensive rehabilitation.
And although little is said about it, car accident victims also suffer from mental and emotional injuries triggered by trauma. Many suffer from depression, PTSD, memory loss, or mood disorders from their accident experience.
Should you experience this, seek help from mental health professionals..
Hidden injuries to watch out for after an auto accident
You often hear of people walking away from accidents without a scratch. In some cases, these individuals have hidden injuries that are not visible at the accident scene but can manifest hours or days later.
Internal injuries can cause long-lasting and substantial damage. An example is internal bleeding that causes organ failure.
Accident victims are advised to go for regular checkups even after receiving initial medical care immediately after the accident. Report any discomfort you may be experiencing such as migraines or nagging aches.
You can reduce your chances of suffering from such injuries by dealing with any bleeding, aches, or pains you experience after an auto accident correctly. Here are some tips to follow.
What you should do after an auto accident to deal with injuries
1. Stop at the scene of the accident, and check for injuries
Always stop at the scene of an accident, even if you think it’s minor or you have no visible injuries. Carefully drive or push your car to the side of the road to keep traffic moving.
Drivers who’ve just had an accident are usually disoriented, and you could be too. So, wait until you are steady on your feet and take your time when assessing yourself for injuries.
Use your car’s first aid kit to deal with any minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes.
Get medical assistance immediately in case of serious injuries such as excessive bleeding.
Avoid aggressive or impaired accident victims. They may get you in trouble with other motorists, the police, or your fellow passengers or worsen any accident injuries you have suffered.
2. Put out warning signs for other drivers
Keeping an accident scene open can result in other accidents. Warn oncoming drivers of your accident by cordoning it off.
Use flares, put your hazard lights on, and place reflective emergency triangles on either side of your vehicle.
Watch out for any fuel spills to avoid being a victim of a car accident fire. If there are no fuel spills, check on the other victims of the accident, if any.
Only remove an unconscious person from an accident vehicle if their life is in danger, for example, because of an impending explosion.
If you can, administer first aid to those who need it using your car first aid kit, and remember to wear gloves when doing it. Do the same for yourself to reduce bleeding, clean up, and disinfect injuries as you wait for help.
Once you do these basic steps, wait in your car for the police, roadside assistance, and emergency medical aid.
3. Take pictures of the accident and your injuries
Police officers advise accident victims to take photos of their vehicles and the injuries they suffer after it happens.
A cellphone with a camera can take satisfactory close-up pictures of the scene.
You can also use it to take audio recordings of witness accounts and videos of the accident scene.
Make sure you get details such as the make of the vehicles in the accident, their colors, and license plate number in your videos, audio, and pictures.
You should also write down the details of everyone involved in the accident and any injuries they suffered. These details will help the authorities recreate the car accident when you report it.
4. Notify your insurance company of the accident
Call your insurance company and notify them of the accident once you receive emergency care for your injuries and finish with the police.
Most car insurance policies require you to report an accident immediately and cooperate with their investigators.
Notifying your insurer of an accident will hasten the process of releasing any medical benefits and repairs to your vehicle.
Use your insurer’s mobile phone app if they offer one to begin the claims process as soon as possible after the accident.
Some of these applications have remote inspection tools you can use to collect details of the car crash.
Although you may be tempted to negotiate a cash deal with the other parties involved in the accident, avoid it. Let your insurer pursue the issue.
You may also enlist the services of a personal injury attorney to help you after an accident. They will ensure you are not hoodwinked by your insurance company, the police, and other motorists involved in the accident.
5. Seek continuous medical care for your auto accident injuries
As mentioned, you may not see or feel the injuries they suffer immediately after an auto accident but they may manifest later.
You can only identify such injuries with continuous medical attention.
So go to the hospital for assessment regularly after the accident to ensure you are healing properly. This will allow the doctors to identify other accident-related problems, such as nerve damage, when they pop up.
Make sure you file all accident-related documents, such as receipts for hospital bill payments, X- rays, MRI scans, and the list of treatments or medication you are given. You should also comply with any medical advice from your doctors.
Dealing with auto accident injuries in this manner will minimize any expenses you incur and assure you of reasonable insurance compensation for any pain and suffering. It will also hasten the healing of your wounds.
What happens if you wait too long to deal with an auto accident injury?
Do not wait too long after an accident to seek medical attention for your injuries or to report. You may lose out on compensation for your injuries or vehicle damage.
The injuries or losses you suffer after a car accident determine the amount of compensation.
You could get compensated for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and the pain and suffering.
Some factors will determine your compensation for auto accident injuries or losses.
One is whether you are to blame for the accident, and the other is the evidence you have of the at-fault driver causing the accident.
Make sure you speak to a personal injury attorney for advice when pursuing compensation for an auto accident injury. They will help you to get the best compensation.
Final thoughts on considerations related to auto accidents
Those are the top considerations related to auto accident injuries. It’s easy to remain calm after an accident when you are proactive and know exactly how to handle matters.
The information you get will enable you to take the parties responsible for the accident to court for compensation. This is very important if you suffer any injuries.
It may help to keep a checklist of how to deal with auto accident injuries after a car accident in your vehicle at all times. Make sure you also carry proof of insurance and car registration documents.
Being well-prepared will help you to deal with car accidents in a way that will protect your interests.
