Every month over 11,000 people visit the Emergency Department for injuries related to car wrecks. If you drive around Buffalo, NY regularly you probably see it. If you’ve been in an accident lately, you’ve probably contributed to this number.
Any car accident lawyer should be able to help you seek compensation for your auto injuries. There are a few factors to consider, and when it comes to auto injuries, not everything is as clear as it seems.
Timeline for Claims and Injuries
Typically insurance companies give you a window of either 30 or 60 days to notify them of a car crash. Failing to inform your insurance policy can lead to many serious consequences, including the loss of any settlement.
If you’re in an accident of any kind, you should contact your insurance company within a reasonable time frame.
Aside from your insurance claim, the State of New York has a 3-year time frame for personal injury claims. An injury from a car wreck might not show up right away, and that’s an important factor in these situations.
How can you make sure that you have the best chance when it comes to these claims? You can gather a lot of evidence at the site of the crash, and maintain accurate records.
When gathering evidence, don’t just take pictures of the damage from your car. Photograph scrapes, bruising, cuts, and any other physical damage as well.
Common Injuries from Car Wrecks
The most common injury from car crashes is contusions and lacerations, or cuts and bruises. Although these seem minor, they could be the only sign that there’s something more serious. Contusions are often a symptom of soft tissue damage. Lacerations often couple with broken bones.
Following bruising and cuts are neck and back injuries. Given the speed of travel and force of the impact, a neck or back injury could be as mild as a strain, or as severe as a herniated disc. There are even instances of spinal cord damage.
Delving into the more debilitating injuries, both head and bring injuries are common after car accidents.
A brain injury could include internal bleed, traumatic brain injury or even concussions. Head injuries such as skull fractures can lead to losing a lot of blood and other issues. TBI could take months to diagnose.
Maintain Accurate Records
When it comes to maintaining accurate records, the primary concern is your medical records. Many people don’t want a stack of medical paperwork laying around the house, but it could make all the difference.
After the crash, you should always get some sort of medical attention. Even scheduling an appointment with your primary physician can identify an issue before symptoms begin to present themselves.
Document every time you see a doctor, what that doctor had to say, and any prescriptions issued. If you received emergency medical attention, then you will want to collect all the information from that visit as well.
Keep your medical bills separate and record expenses for things such as over-the-counter medication, and rehab treatments.
Common Auto Injury Symptoms
Among auto injuries, there are consistent symptoms that become present for a variety of issues. Because many accidents lead to neck and back injuries, various problems present similar symptoms.
Even though these are known auto injury symptoms, many doctors fail to identify them immediately. This failure to identify injuries right away takes away from the timeline you have as part of your insurance claim or lawsuit.
Speak with your doctor right away if you are experiencing any of these concerns after a wreck:
- Headaches
- Pain in your fingers or toes
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Back pain
- Irritability
- Balance issues
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Nausea
- Fatigue
Call A Car Accident Attorney in Buffalo, NY
People who are experiencing symptoms such as headache or fatigue often have injuries that go undiagnosed. Auto injuries can include serious concerns such as traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Not all of these major injuries show symptoms right away.
It is important to call a car accident attorney for help in fighting your case. It doesn’t matter if your accident was two years ago or yesterday. Injuries from car wrecks often require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
If you’ve spent time off of work, or are disabled in any way, you need help recovering from this wreck.
Get Help After Your Car Wreck
Common car wreck injuries include traumatic brain injury (TBI), herniated discs, fractures, spinal cord damage, sprains, and soft tissue injuries. People may suffer through years or even decades of consistent pain without the correct treatment.
To handle your case you need an experienced lawyer who understands the medical aspects of your crash as well. Cellino Law provides help to the victims of car accidents throughout Buffalo, NY. Call today for a review of your case and to learn more about your legal options.