Car accidents are incredibly common.
The good news, however, is that though there are, on average, more than 6 million crashes every year in the United States, fatal crashes are becoming less frequent. Back in 1960, when records first started to be kept, there were 36,399 fatalities and 718,763 recorded crashes. In 2020 there were 38,824 fatalities amongst 5,250,837.
Vehicles today are safer, but just because you have survived a car accident does not mean that the injuries that you have sustained are not serious. There are, on average, over 2 million injuries every year, and if you are one of them, you will want to use this guide to help you recover as well as you can after your accident.
Get Your Health Checked Out by a Professional
Not only should you always see a medical professional after an accident you also need to monitor your condition in the few days after the accident. Whiplash, for example, can take hours, even days, to fully set in.
Don’t just focus on the main pain points, either. If your wrist is broken, this is going to take a substantial amount of your focus, but try to also take account of your neck pain, joint pain, and even headache so that the doctor has a full picture of what to start with.
Getting checked out by a medical professional as soon as you can is important for your recovery and also for gathering evidence in favor of your case.
Hire an Attorney As Soon as You Can
If you have suffered severe injuries, then you need to hire a car accident attorney like Horst Shewmaker immediately. Hiring an attorney means getting the best representation and allows you to relax, rest, and recuperate. Not only will your attorney build your case, but they will also work with the insurance companies in question to ensure that you get the compensation that you need to cover your medical costs. It is never too early to call a lawyer, either. In fact, waiting often means that essential evidence is lost, which can complicate your case. Many great attorneys operate on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning that they get paid a part of your settlement, not out of your pocket.
Consider Counselling and Physical Therapy
You will benefit from both physical and mental therapy after a serious accident. Physical therapy, in particular, can help you regain as much strength and flexibility as possible. It is not a cure-all, but it can help you recover as much of your mobility as possible following an accident.
Counseling can help you process the accident mentally, especially if you are experiencing signs of PTSD. PTSD can occur after almost any traumatic, life-threatening situation, especially if it isn’t your first time. You may have already lived through one serious accident in your life and not had any issues but started to experience signs of PTSD after a second accident.
Therapy is there to help you holistically regain as much of your old self as possible and to find new ways to move forward. When you have a lawyer working on your behalf, you can focus on this area of recovery rather than evidence gathering and case building. Use that space to invest in your recovery.