Do I Have to Go to the ER After a Car Accident?

February 23, 2018

Whether or not you choose to seek medical attention after a car accident is your decision. If you suffer life-threatening injuries or fall unconscious at the accident scene, first responders may have to make that decision for you initially. However, if you’re conscious with minor injuries, you’ll get to decide if, when, and where you see a doctor.

One option for medical treatment after a car accident is the emergency room, commonly known as the ER. You don’t have to go to the ER if you’ve been injured in a car accident, but it’s an option worth considering.

Reasons to Go to the ER

There are a few situations in which seeking medical treatment at the ER might be the best option for you. For example, an ER visit may be your only option for medical treatment if you don’t have health insurance but have serious injuries that need immediate attention. Your lack of health insurance should never stop you from getting emergency medical care.

You also may want to go to the ER if your car accident occurs far from home. Without access to your regular doctor nearby, an ER may be the fastest way to get the care you need.

Should You Take an Ambulance?

Ambulance rides can be life-saving, but they can also be surprisingly expensive, regardless of how far away you are from the hospital. You can seek medical attention at an ER without taking an ambulance, but you’ll still want to consider whether or not an ambulance ride is in your best interest.

If your injuries appear to be severe, the other driver in the accident may call an ambulance for you. Even an eyewitness may call and request an ambulance. However, even if an ambulance arrives for you, you are not required to take it to the hospital unless you are unconscious.

Why are ambulance rides so expensive? Typically, you’re not paying just for transportation, but also for the team of highly trained medical professionals and the medical devices within the ambulance itself. Just like hospitals, ambulances are typically part of insurance networks, and if your ambulance is out-of-network, your bill may be higher.

It’s also difficult to predict how much an ambulance ride will cost because there are no standard ambulance providers in the U.S. Ambulance services may be provided by a local fire department, hospital, private company, or even a team of volunteers. Insurance policies are required to cover some portion of emergency services, including transportation, but whether or not your insurance company deems your situation a true emergency could affect your bill as well.

If your injuries are severe or even life-threatening, don’t let the fear of a large bill prevent you from taking an ambulance to the ER. However, if your injuries are minor and you have other means of transportation, you are within your rights to refuse an ambulance ride.

The Importance of Seeking Medical Treatment

Even if you choose not to go to the ER, we highly encourage you to seek medical treatment of some sort after an Indiana car accident. Injuries that appear minor at first may become more severe over time or develop unexpected complications. It’s important to seek medical attention within the first few days following an accident to make sure you’re on the road to recovery.

Seeking immediate medical attention is important not just for your health, but also for a potential personal injury claim. By seeing a doctor soon after an accident, you’ll create official documentation of your injuries resulting from the accident. The quicker you seek medical attention, the more difficult it will be for the insurance company to argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim or aren’t the result of your car accident.

Help from an Indiana Car Accident Lawyer

Physical, mental, and emotional recovery are of the utmost importance after an Indiana car accident. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor to get the treatment you need. However, financial recovery is equally necessary. Call Hensley Legal Group or contact us online for a free consultation.