Do Car Accident Lawyers Recommend an Ambulance After a Crash?
Any knowledgeable car accident lawyer in West Valley City, Utah, or elsewhere would agree that medical attention is of the utmost importance after a crash.
But should you take an ambulance to the hospital?
If a car crash leaves you with serious injuries, you may not have a choice. But if you’re injured, yet still conscious, someone may ask if you need an ambulance. Say yes, and you might get billed for the ride and any treatment you receive. Say no, and you could be putting your health at risk — and the decision could also jeopardize your legal claim.
Determining whether or not to accept an ambulance ride can be difficult when you’re dealing with the confusing aftermath of a collision. As you weigh the options, here’s what experienced West Valley City car accident lawyers say to keep in mind.
Why Accept an Ambulance Ride?
Some injuries make emergency transportation and immediate medical care a must after a car accident. For example, if you’re bleeding from any wounds or suspect that you might have a broken bone, agreeing to an ambulance simply makes sense. The same is true if you experience any of the following:
- Trouble breathing
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Loss of hearing
- Severe headache
- Pain in the chest or abdomen
- Disorientation
- Difficulty processing information
However, serious injuries aren’t always apparent early on. Right after a car accident, you could feel fairly good – and a few minutes later, you might take a turn for the worse.
For that reason, car accident lawyers generally recommend accepting an ambulance ride if there’s even the slightest chance that you could be seriously injured. That way, you can get the medical attention you need, and if you happen to experience a seizure or become unconscious on the way to the hospital, the EMTs will be there to help.
What if you really don’t think you’re seriously injured? We’d say that you can never be too careful when it comes to your health — and that taking an ambulance to the hospital may also benefit your legal claim. An experienced car accident lawyer can use the fact that you accepted emergency transportation from the crash scene as a basis for establishing that the incident caused you to suffer losses.
What About the Cost of Taking an Ambulance?
Too many people who are seriously injured in West Valley City car crashes refuse to accept emergency transportation due to concerns about the cost. But while this is understandable, it’s also quite unfortunate.
How so? Well, if you suffer injuries in a car accident and someone else is to blame for the incident, the expenses of an ambulance ride and immediate medical care are recoverable. In other words, if you didn’t cause the crash, you won’t have to pay for these services – emergency care and any follow-up medical treatment you receive can be included in your legal claim.
An experienced car accident lawyer can be your advocate in getting the costs covered, so don’t let financial worries keep you from getting the medical attention you need. If you hold off on seeing a doctor, you may come to regret the decision.
How Refusing an Ambulance Ride Can Affect Your Legal Claim
If you aren’t injured, you may not need to take an ambulance to the hospital. However, getting medical attention as soon as possible is essential if you plan to take legal action. In the event you decide against emergency transportation, any car accident lawyer in West Valley City would likely recommend doing one of the following:
- Heading to a nearby urgent care center
- Asking someone to drive you to the emergency room
- Making an appointment with your primary care physician
If your doctor can’t see you within 24 hours, we suggest you go to the hospital or a walk-in urgent care clinic. Not getting evaluated by a medical professional soon enough could impact your legal claim, as that gives the insurance adjuster involved a few strong arguments against your case:
You don’t have serious injuries. Since you refused an ambulance ride and didn’t seek immediate medical care, you must not be severely injured.
Your injuries occurred later on. If you see a doctor a few days after a West Valley City car crash, who can say that another incident wasn’t the cause of your injuries?
You’re simply trying to get some cash. Not getting prompt medical care, but then hiring a car accident lawyer, could be an attempt to take advantage of the legal system.
Insurance adjusters use every tactic they can to deny and devalue claims, and if you want to maximize the odds of getting a fair settlement or jury award, make a point of getting your injuries evaluated as soon as possible. And whether you take an ambulance or not, contacting an experienced local legal professional should be a priority.
A highly skilled West Valley City car accident lawyer will be able to build a solid case and fight for every dollar you deserve for the losses you’ve suffered. And the sooner you get an attorney involved, the better – wait too long, and you may lose the right to take legal action.
Accident victims throughout northern Utah rely on the team at Cockayne Law for expert legal assistance, and you can, too. For information on our law firm, or to discuss your West Valley City crash with a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced car accident lawyer, contact our office today.
