Should I Visit the ER or Urgent Care After a Car Accident?

After you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident, your physical health is of the utmost importance. One of the first questions accident victims often consider is whether or not they should seek medical care at an ER or urgent care facility. The location and circumstances of an accident as well as the severity of the resulting injuries will all play a factor, as sometimes a victim’s condition will be such that they require immediate attention.

However, not all accidents are that severe, and medical treatment may not feel necessary. This is especially true if you are having issues with your insurer or don’t have coverage at all. While it may feel like an inconvenience at times, it’s always a good idea to seek some form of medical attention after an accident. Let’s find out why:

Seeking Medical Help Following an Accident–Time is of the Essence

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As mentioned above, medical care should always be at the top of your priorities, even if you have little to no symptoms. There are numerous reasons why you should do this as quickly as possible–first and foremost, your physical wellbeing is important, and a comprehensive exam may uncover injuries you didn’t notice right away. The biggest examples of this are latent injuries like concussions or whiplash.

The other main reason why swift medical attention is so important is because it forms the basis of your claim moving forward. In other words, if you are trying to recover compensation for injuries suffered in an accident, it helps if you can show that you immediately requested care instead of waiting until a later time, which would indicate that your injuries weren’t as serious as you may claim. Insurers and defense counsel are masters at picking apart any mistake you make along the way, and not receiving treatment in a timely manner is definitely one of them.

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In addition, you will have to receive care at some point in order to fall within the statute of limitations for your claim. Essentially, a statute of limitations is the allotted amount of time in which you can file a claim after the date of your accident (or date of loss). Most statutes are two or three years, so if you don’t receive any care before then, you won’t have any damages to claim.

The Choice Between Urgent Care and ER After a Crash

Obviously, those who are in critical condition will be taken to the hospital via ambulance. However, if the injuries aren’t terribly severe, claimants may wonder whether they should go to the emergency room or an urgent care facility.

Here are some of the pros and cons of both:

Emergency Rooms

• ER’s can take all patients, including those who can’t pay for treatment
• ER’s will have the resources to address just about any injury
• However, ER doctors prioritize patients based on severity, so if you don’t have major injuries you could wait a very long time
• ER’s are just considered triage areas, and may only give you minimal treatment

Urgent Care Facilities

• Urgent cares are very good at quickly treating minor injuries like cuts, burns, etc.
• Urgent cares are more plentiful and may be much closer to you than an ER
• However, they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, and if there is a long line you will have to wait it out
• If an urgent care facility cannot treat you, they will send you to the ER anyway

Need Help After an Accident? Call Van Law Firm Right Away

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If you have further questions about the claim process, or would like to schedule a consultation with award-winning car accident attorneys, simply contact the Van Law Firm nearest you as soon as possible. Over the past 10 years, we’ve defended countless accident victims’ rights, and with over 500 5-star reviews, our work has not gone unnoticed. Don’t wait–call today for more information.