By GNGF on May 13th, 2022 in
Should I Go to Urgent Care After a Car Accident? After being involved in a car accident, you were likely shaken up and even possibly injured. You may have asked yourself, “Should I go to urgent care after a car accident?” The answer to that question can have a serious bearing on your future health as well as a future personal injury claim. You should always seek medical treatment for injuries received in a Springfield car accident. The best case scenario will be that you are not seriously injured and just undergo a couple of routine diagnostic tests.
Urgent care, like an ER, can be suited to assess injuries following a car accident. Urgent care will often send people injured in a car accident to the emergency room for more advanced care. Car accidents can cause:
- Severe burns
- Fractures and broken bones
- Internal injuries and internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Disfigurement
Car accidents cause adrenaline to flood the body, masking symptoms of injury. Even if you think you are “fine,” there are many good reasons to obtain medical attention as quickly as possible. This is particularly true if you strike your head, are burned, or your neck is snapped around in the car accident. When you file a personal injury claim after the accident, the insurance company will look at whether you sought medical attention. If you did not, they may claim that your injuries were not the result of the car accident or as severe as claimed.
Because emergency rooms are typically high-traffic and triaged, those with life-threatening injuries will be treated more quickly. If your injuries are less severe, you might have to wait longer for care. Although urgent care facilities may not be open 24 hours per day like emergency rooms, they do have less restrictive hours than your own physician. Urgent care is often less expensive than ER treatments as well. Overall, unless your injuries are life-threatening, urgent care may be a better decision than an ER visit. Urgent care facilities are equipped to comprehensively treat your injuries and can also provide medical records for a future personal injury claim.
Should I Pay Medical Bills with Health Insurance if I Was Injured in a Car Crash?
Personal injury protection (PIP) is not mandatory in the State of Illinois. Illinois insurance companies offer medical payments insurance, sometimes known as MedPay that can help you with hospital bills resulting from a car accident. MedPay is similar to PIP insurance, but coverage may not be as comprehensive. MedPay has no provisions for lost wages and no assistance for home tasks that you cannot manage due to your injuries.
You can claim your medical expenses related to the car crash through your private health insurer, as well. Your insurer may have a right to recoup money paid for your injuries if you are successful in your personal injury claim. Your health insurer may have distinctions related to in-network and out-of-network providers, and restrictions on what treatments are covered.
If the cost to treat your car accident injuries exceeds your medical payments coverage, then making a claim through your health insurance plan is the next step. If you have no MedPay and no health insurance, you should still seek necessary medical attention following your car crash. Healthcare providers may work with you on a payment plan and in some cases, you may be entitled to receive care at a reduced rate.
How Can the Noll Law Office Help?
The Noll Law Office attorneys can help you determine what steps you need to file a personal injury claim. They will take the burden of dealing with the insurance companies off of you so that you may focus on healing from your injuries.
They take pride in their deep community roots and shared history with their community. With many successful outcomes for their clients, they use their experience and positive track record for your benefit. After a Springfield, IL car accident, contact Noll Law Office—Their family will fight for yours every step of the way.