You should seek always medical care right away if you are ever injured in a motorcycle accident. Waiting too long after the accident may cause serious issues to your health and your case. By waiting to seek treatment, you may also reduce your chances of being able to prove that your injuries were caused by the motorcycle accident.
At the Carabin Shaw Law Firm, we offer a free initial consultation to answer your questions about medical care.
Medical Treatment Follow upsIf you were a victim of a motorcycle accident, you were most likely transported to a hospital emergency room by ambulance. Once arrived, the emergency room physicians will have quickly diagnosed your most serious injuries and given you the medical treatment they considered medically necessary. After initial diagnosis, the doctors will have determined whether you were facing a life-threatening condition. If facing life-threatening injuries, you may have been admitted into the ICU for further emergency medical care.
If you are not facing life-threatening injuries, your physician might discharge you from the hospital with a referral for follow-up care with your primary care physician. Depending on your injuries, your doctor may have prescribed you pain medication, anti-inflammatory medicine, prosthetic devices such as a soft cervical collar, leg splint, arm splint or even referred you to a physical therapist to help alleviate any pain and discomfort your are experiencing.
After being involved in a motorcycle accident, it is imperative that you receive the follow-up care deemed necessary from your primary care physician, referred doctors or any other healthcare professionals that were referred to you by your hospital physician. The insurance company considers the causation between accident and injuries to be more remote as time passes after your accident.
Keep Your Primary Care Physician InformedKeeping your primary care physician informed on your injuries is very important to your recovery. During the initial visit with your primary care physician, or any other doctor to whom you were referred to, tell the doctor ALL the details of how the injury occurred. Make sure to include exactly how your body hit the pavement and what parts of your body are injured. It is also a good idea to provide the doctor with a laundry list from head to toe of all parts of your body that hurt. You should also tell the doctor whether the injuries are major or minor. You could also rate the pain of each of your injuries on a scale of 1-10.
In order to alleviate duplicate X-ray charges and prints, you should make sure the doctor requests and receives copies of your emergency room records. After you have received a full examination from your primary care physician, your doctor will provide the appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. Treatment options may include: a conservative course of physical therapy, prescriptive anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications, or other necessary medical care.
It is very important to keep in mind that any delay in seeking medical treatment after your accident had occurred may reduce your chances of being able to prove that the injuries were caused by the motorcycle accident.