When Should I Visit a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident?
Due to the lack of protection provided by a motorcycle, injuries sustained during an accident are often catastrophic in nature. While it is generally obvious that you’ll require medical attention after a serious motorcycle accident injury, you may be wondering whether you need to visit a doctor if you don’t appear seriously injured. The answer, quite simply, is yes.
You should always visit a doctor after being involved in a motorcycle accident, regardless of whether you appear to be seriously injured. Even if you only experience some initial soreness, it’s possible that adrenaline from the accident is masking more serious pain. In addition, certain injuries can take a while before symptoms manifest. In order to ensure all injuries are treated properly in a timely manner, it’s critical that you see a doctor after a motorcycle accident.
How Soon Should I See a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident?
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, you should visit a doctor within 72 hours of the accident. This is important even if you don’t appear to be injured. Many common motorcycle accident injures can take days or even weeks before symptoms manifest, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injuries
By visiting a doctor within 72 hours, you’ll ensure these serious injuries are properly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, increasing the likelihood that you’ll make a full recovery.
3 Critical Reasons to See a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident
One of the most common mistakes people make after a motorcycle accident is failing to visit a doctor. This mistake can have devastating consequences. There are three critical reasons why you should always get examined by a doctor after a motorcycle accident.
Protect Your Health
As mentioned earlier, many of the most common motorcycle accident injuries can take days or weeks before symptoms develop. Internal bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries can result in permanent disabilities or even become life-threatening if not treated promptly. Often, by the time you develop symptoms, it can be too late to prevent long-term issues that permanently impact your quality of life.
Other injuries are often associated with symptoms that can be dismissed as short-term effects of an accident. Confusion, headaches or disorientation after a motorcycle can simply be due to the trauma of the accident and may go away on their own. However, they may also be a sign that you’ve suffered a concussion. Numbness or tingling after a motorcycle accident may resolve on its own quickly, but it may also be a sign of nerve damage that requires prompt attention.
When you visit a doctor after a motorcycle accident, any symptoms you experience – no matter how minor they may seem – will be evaluated to ensure they aren’t associated with a more serious underlying injury. In addition, your doctor will perform comprehensive diagnostic testing to ensure you didn’t sustain any injuries that take a long time for symptoms to develop. Your doctor can also make sure you didn’t suffer any serious injuries that aren’t readily visible, such as internal bleeding.
By receiving prompt treatment for any injuries you’ve sustained, you can minimize the risk of long-term damage, improve your chances of a full recovery, and facilitate a faster healing process.
Strengthen Your Legal Claim
Visiting a doctor after a motorcycle accident is also an important step that will protect your legal rights in the event that you file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your damages. Your doctor’s medical diagnosis will play a critical role in demonstrating the total extent of your injuries. If your injuries are serious enough to require ongoing treatment and rehabilitation long after the accident, your doctor can help demonstrate the need for future procedures which should be factored into your total compensation.
Seeking medical attention can strengthen your claim in several other ways:
- It provides concrete documentation of your injuries
- It establishes the financial losses you’ve incurred due to medical bills
- It can help demonstrate the severity of your injuries, which can be used to estimate damages for pain and suffering
Just as importantly, seeing a doctor can potentially minimize your risk of being considered partially at fault for the severity of your injuries. Colorado adheres to the doctrine of comparative negligence, which states that your damages will be reduced by the percentage fault attributed to your actions. For example, if your injuries become more serious because you failed to seek prompt treatment and a jury determines this makes you 20% at fault for the severity of your injuries, you would only be entitled to recover 80% of the total damages. Therefore, seeing a doctor is an important step to help you maximize the value of your compensation.
Avoid Disputes with the Insurance Company
The at-fault driver’s insurance company will generally be responsible for paying your compensation. The insurance company’s goal is to minimize the amount of money they must pay out on your claim, and they will often go to great lengths to unfairly reduce or deny your claim. When you fail to seek medical attention, you’re giving the insurance company ammunition that can help them dispute your claim:
- They may insist your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim
- They may argue your injuries were caused by a different event
- They may claim your failure to seek treatment caused your injuries to become more serious
Visiting a doctor prevents the insurance company from using these arguments to try and reduce your compensation. You’ll have medical documentation supporting the severity of your injuries, and you’ll be able to demonstrate that your injuries were caused by the motorcycle accident. In addition, seeking prompt treatment prevents the insurance company from arguing that your actions contributed to more serious issues.
Pushchak Law Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence of another driver, Pushchak Law can help. We’ve helped many motorcycle accident victims in the Denver area hold negligent drivers responsible for their injuries, and we’ll fight aggressively to maximize the value of your compensation.
Brian Pushchak has made motorcycle accidents a primary focus of his practice, and this specialization gives you the edge you need when battling the high-powered legal teams employed by insurance companies. Mr. Pushchak understands the complex laws impacting your claim, and he knows how to use your medical records to demonstrate the total extent of your damages. This will help ensure your settlement fairly compensates you for your injuries.
You’ll also benefit from Mr. Pushchak’s Informed Decisions™ Approach focused on helping you receive the best possible outcome to your case. This approach keeps you in control of the entire process. Mr. Pushchak will discuss your goals for the case with you and answer any questions you have. Once you understand all your legal rights and options, Mr. Pushchak will recommend the best strategy to achieve your desired outcome. However, you will always have final say regarding how your case is handled. This collaborative approach ensures Mr. Pushchak remains aligned with your best interests every step of the way.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Pushchak Law serves clients in Denver and the surrounding areas of Colorado.
- Can You Register a Motorcycle in Colorado without a License? - April 24, 2024
- How Does Scarring and Disfigurement Impact My Dog Bite Settlement? - April 9, 2024
- Do You Need a Driver’s License to Get a Motorcycle License in Colorado? - March 29, 2024
Free Case Consultation
If you have been injured and would like to speak with one of our attorneys, take advantage of our free, no-obligation consultation. And if you have a viable case, there are no fees until we win.
Call 303.372.6145
