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Should You Go to the Emergency Room after a Traffic Accident?
If you’ve been involved in a car accident – or in any other kind of traffic accident – you are no doubt stunned and may have no idea about how best to proceed. That’s normal. The violent impact inherent to traffic accidents tends to leave all involved at a loss. Your primary consideration, however, should always be your health, and you are well-advised not to forego the medical attention you need.
Safety First
If someone else’s negligence causes you to be involved in a car accident, there are certain steps related to safety that you should always take, and these include:
- Pull as far off the road – or out of the path of oncoming traffic – as it is possible to do.
- Call 9-1-1 and advise the dispatcher if anyone is hurt (including yourself).
- If someone else is injured and you are well enough to do so, offer whatever help you can until the medical professionals arrive.
- If the emergency medical personnel on the scene advise you to accept their care, do so – and continue on to the emergency room (under their direction).
If the medical attendants on the scene don’t advise you to accept their care, you may not need to visit an emergency room, but this doesn’t mean you don’t need medical assistance, and you should call your physician.
Your Injuries
Serious car accidents often result in serious injuries that need emergency care, and if that’s the case, you should receive ambulance transportation from the scene of the accident to the emergency room. Sometimes, however, serious injuries can appear less serious than they actually are, and the adrenaline rush that commonly accompanies frightening accidents can mask the serious pain signals sent by your brain to alert you to the nature of your injuries. Further, some injuries remain asymptomatic until they have ample time to develop into more serious injuries that are more complicated to effectively treat. In other words, just because it’s not abundantly clear that you need emergency medical care does not mean that you don’t.
Obtaining the Care You Need
If the medical professionals at the scene of the accident don’t take you to the emergency room, it’s in your best interest to head to urgent care (or to your own physician if possible) to be checked out. Further, if you begin to feel like your injuries are more serious than you’d initially thought, alert the medical professionals at the scene or – if it’s after the fact – get yourself to an emergency room. When it comes to your health, always err on the side of caution.
Don’t Delay Consulting with an Experienced San Francisco Car Accident Attorney
If another motorist’s negligence leaves you injured in a traffic accident, the dedicated personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Scott Righthand – proudly serving both San Francisco and Sacramento – are well-positioned and uniquely qualified to help. To schedule a free consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
