You’ve just been injured in one way or another, be it by another person, as part of a car accident, trucking accident, medical malpractice, or some unsafe condition at a place you are at. Many people have no idea what they should do next. Far too often, people either do not realize the extent of their injuries or just do nothing about them because they have no idea there is something they can do. However, fear not because here is a simple 5-step guide on what to do when you’re injured.
1. Stop and Assess the Situation
Many people do not stop to figure out what has just happened and specifically what has happened to them. Instead, out of panic, embarrassment, or being in a rush, they just continue carrying on like nothing happened and ignore that they may be seriously hurt. Also, many people fail to fully assess the circumstances around what has just happened. By taking an extra few minutes to soak everything in and figure out what caused the situation, and what has happened to them, people who are injured can be much better off in the long run when trying to deal with the situation.
2. Who Was There?
Figure out who was there who may have seen what happened and make sure to get their information. While sometimes this can be hard (or just down right impossible if no one saw what happened), it is an important step and someone who is injured should take this extra step to try to get anyone’s information that could say what happened. In the case of a car accident, law enforcement personnel who respond to the scene typically do this step.
3. Seek Medical Treatment
In 2012, medical professionals treated 39.7 million injuries in the United States. This is only a small fraction of the injuries that actually happened in 2012. Many people do not seek medical treatment of any kind when they are injured. Some of this is due to not realizing how badly they are injured. Sometimes it can also be due to pride or just not wanting to deal with medical professionals. Also, there is always the money issue. Medical treatment is not cheap. However, if the injury was not your fault, then in the end, it is likely that you are going to be getting that money back anyway.
Also, seeking medical treatment does not necessarily mean going to the Emergency Room and waiting hours, or sitting in the waiting room of an Urgent Care. Medical treatment can come from variety of places depending on your injury, including general practitioners, chiropractors, physical therapists, or some sort of medical specialists.
4. Listen to the Medical Professional
Listen carefully to what the doctor or medical professional says to you regarding your injury and treatment. If they say you need to come back once a month for the next ten months, then you better make sure you actually go all ten times over the next ten months. While this may seem like an expensive and unnecessary course of action at times, it is actually extremely important. Sometimes, insurance companies will assume that you weren’t really injured that bad, or at all, if you stop getting treatment. This can effect how much the insurance company is willing to compensate you for the pain you have been through. Being injured and recovering is no short process. Every step the doctor tells you to take is for a reason, and if you have a claim then it will likely be paid for by the party who injured you once it is all said and done.
5. Talk to an Attorney
When it comes to other people after you have been injured, an attorney is one of the most important, right next to a doctor or medical professional. Medical professionals make you better physically and mentally. Attorneys make sure you are made whole in every other way, including financially. You should not have the bear the insult of suffering through losing money on top of suffering through your injury. By seeking out an attorney, you can make sure that you get the help you need to become fully compensated for everything you have been through with the injury that is someone else’s fault.