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At the time of an automobile accident, not every victim will have an injury with glaring and unmistakable symptoms. There are some serious injuries that have mild symptoms, at least at first. In fact, the victim of such an injury may not even notice them.
That is the reason that every accident victim needs to be seen by a doctor. A doctor can check for evidence of milder symptoms. In addition, a doctor can tell a patient that has just come from the scene of a collision how many days it might take before any symptom associated with whiplash, a torn muscle or a concussion might appear.
The doctor’s guidance can increase a victim’s ability to note the appearance of such a symptom. In the absence of such guidance, someone that has suffered a mild concussion might develop a headache a few days post-collision, and think that it is just the result of stress or exhaustion. Alternately, that same person might feel a bit nauseous and think that it was just something he or she had eaten.
Why the victim’s background should not be overlooked
The examining doctors at a medical facility can do a better job of making a diagnosis of the problem, if they have been provided with access to information on the patient’s medical history. Certainly, anyone that examines someone that has been involved in a collision should seek to learn the patient’s most recent medical history. For example, did the patient have or just get over a severe headache? Did that same patient hit his or her head on any part of the car’s interior?
Suppose that one occupant of the damaged vehicle was a child that still had a bit of a headache. Suppose that same child had somehow hit his or her head on some section of the interior. The parents could be told to watch for signs of a concussion. In addition, the parents might be provided with details on brain trauma, a condition that can develop from a concussion.
The parents deserve to be told about any other neurological conditions that their child might suffer, as a result of that one accident. It will then become the parents’ job to decide whether or not to agree to an offered settlement. It may be better to have the child undergo a fuller evaluation before agreeing to such a settlement.
The value in having a good lawyer
A good personal injury lawyer in Hamilton would understand the parents’ concerns. Moreover, that same lawyer would know how to use those concerns, while negotiating with an insurance company. Sometimes an accident victim agrees to a settlement in order to finish the frustrating settlement process.
That can be a mistake. It is better to hire a lawyer, so that he or she can help to smooth the settlement process. If necessary, a lawyer can prolong that process, so that the victim’s just compensation can be sought and, hopefully, obtained.