Intro:
After you experience an injury from a car accident, you require medical attention. Sometimes the effects of the experience become apparent after 24 hours. Others take days or weeks to appear.
Once the signs of an injury become obvious, it’s a wait-and-see game. There is no perfect way to tell if the injuries are temporary or long-term. Sometimes the injury becomes a chronic condition.
Common conditions that pop up after a vehicle accident are:
- Head trauma
- Brain trauma
- Back pain
- Neck discomfort
If you realize that you have an injury that is becoming chronic, you need to take action.
We outline seven steps to take when an injury from a car accident won’t heal.
1. Explore Your Legal Options
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Industry insiders believe that it takes an average of six weeks to heal. Most individuals do experience relief two months after the incident. Others heal before the six-week mark.
If you are someone who continues to feel discomfort, start exploring your legal options.
Take into account that it depends on your current legal action. A car accident lawsuit takes an average of three months to process. If you’re still experiencing discomfort and your personal injury lawsuit is making its way to court, your legal representation may have the opportunity to amend your complaint.
2. Gather Your Medical Documents
Maintaining a paper trail for important transactions is a must. If you own your home, you must keep your contract, mortgage documents, and financial documentation in a safe place.
The same goes for any medical documents you receive after seeking treatment for vehicle accident injuries. It helps if you have medical documentation before the accident too.
For example, if you never had back pain but after the accident you do, you can show the health deterioration you continue to experience.
3. Understand the Statute of Limitations
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Let’s say that you didn’t file a personal injury claim. Thus there is no open case against the driver who caused your condition. In addition, several months have passed.
If you decide to take legal action to recover losses for a car accident that won’t heal, check the statute of limitations.
To prevent frivolous lawsuits and to protect a defendant, all court case types have a statute of limitations. In many cases, the limit on a car accident is two years. Every state has a slightly different law.
4. Speak with Your Insurance Company
As you explore your options, check in with your vehicle and medical insurance companies. Treatments for chronic conditions that involve pain can run up the medical bills. You need to figure out how you’re going to pay for them.
Some hospitals make accommodations for individuals who are victims of an accident. Nonetheless, you’ll have some responsibility to cover the costs.
5. Seek Physical Therapy
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As you get your legal and finance ducks in a row, seek physical therapy. Your goal is to put your health back together, especially if you are your home’s head of household. The breadwinner can’t find themselves out of work for extended periods.
Physical therapy is helpful for many individuals. Others benefit from treatment outlined by their doctors. In any case, follow your doctor’s orders.
6. Speak with a Personal Injury Lawyer
At this point, you have enough information to speak with a personal injury lawyer. You want the process to move efficiently.
Legal professionals such as those from JT Legal Group can help you file a personal injury lawsuit. Plus, they’ll take over the administrative aspects of the case.
7. Make a Decision
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Now you’re ready to make a decision. If you want to file a personal injury claim to recover losses, you can. Other individuals prefer to wait out their condition. Those who decide to wait, need to keep an eye on the clock.
It’s not a good idea to miss out on recovering damages because the statute of limitations clock ran out.
Conclusion
If you continue to feel the effects of a car accident, continue seeking medical treatment that helps you get better. Those who require extensive medical attention should seek it. You’ll find that you need to multitask, which can place additional stress on you. However, if you can recover damages, it’s a route to consider taking.
