It is not uncommon for personal injury victims to delay seeking treatment following an accident or to fail to follow through with the recommended treatment plan. Accident Doctor highly recommends against doing either/or.
Delayed treatment occurs when you are involved in a car accident or other type of incident and fail to seek treatment immediately. Gaps in treatment occur when you seek initial medical care but then fail to follow through with the prescribed treatment plan or to maintain your appointments. Both delays and gaps may not only hinder your recovery but also, they can damage your injury claim.
When you should seek medical care
Ideally, you should seek medical care as soon after the incident as possible. However, you should not wait longer than 72 hours to see a doctor, and even then, you should only wait this long if your accident occurs over the weekend. Putting off medical treatment, or ignoring the advice of your doctor can delay your recovery and increase your pain. It can also decrease the likelihood that the insurers will take your claim seriously and award you full compensation.
Using PIP coverage
In some instances, such as in hit-and-run accidents or accidents in which the other driver was uninsured, you may need to enact your personal injury protection coverage or your no-fault insurance coverage. If you plan to do so, it is even more imperative that you seek medical attention right away. To qualify for either type of coverage, you must see your doctor within 14 days. Otherwise, you risk forfeiting your benefits entirely.
