All of us have either been in an auto accident or know someone who has. It’s a scary and terrible thing. In addition to the trauma of the initial event, we are often left inconvenienced for weeks or months with issues involving having the car repaired, dealing with injuries, missing work and other issues. There are many issues which need to be addressed, but the most important of these (in my opinion) is your health. A good personal injury lawyer will be able to help with the legal issues associated with your accident. Your top consideration of course, is your health, and the treatment you seek for your injuries.
In my opinion, everyone who has been in a car wreck involving even a moderate amount of force should be checked out by a doctor for potential injuries. If you are in significant pain or have any serious symptoms, I would further suggest that you seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY, either via ambulance or private transport to an emergency room. As I like to explain to people, I’m a personal injury lawyer, not a doctor, but neither are you! We only have one body in this life, so we really need to make sure we take care of it. Remember that you MUST be seen if you go to the emergency room, even if you don’t have health insurance or money to pay. You will be charged for the visit, but a personal injury attorney experienced in helping those injured after an auto accident can help recover the money to pay those bills, AND get you compensation for the physical pain, mental anguish and other damages you have suffered.
Most experienced auto accident injury attorneys in Houston know some doctors and medical care providers that will treat under what is known as a “letter of protection.” This is a letter that the lawyer can send to the medical care provider asking them to wait to be paid for their medical services until the client’s claim is resolved. Having practiced personal injury and handling thousands of auto accident cases in my career, I have a very large network of care providers that will treat my clients under my letter of protection. Whether it is a simple soft tissue injury, or something as complicated as a broken bone or serious spine injury, I can help you get the medical treatment you need for your injuries without paying anything up front.
Many times in my career as an auto accident lawyer, I’ve seen a situation where someone felt they were okay at the time of a collision, but then over several hours they start to develop trauma induced symptoms such as headache, neck pain and back pain. This is not uncommon. Given the shock and trauma of a car crash, we often don’t notice these things until after things settle down. I’ve heard of many instances where people thought they were okay, went to sleep, and were in so much pain the next morning they couldn’t even get out of bed!
After your initial treatment at an emergency room, it is important to pick the right care provider with whom to follow up for further treatment of your injuries. As with many other medical conditions, after you are in an automobile accident, you should try and seek treatment with a medical provider who specializes in this area. Most chiropractic clinics in Houston are extremely well equipped to deal with the types of injuries normally sustained in an automobile accident. While chiropractors do not have prescriptive authority, they often work with medical doctors who can write prescriptions for pain killers, muscle relaxants, or other pharmaceuticals as needed.
If you have been diagnosed with a broken bone, you want to make sure that you follow up as needed with an orthopedic doctor to insure that your fracture heals properly. Some types of fractures may need surgical correction, and it is important to find an orthopedic surgeon with skill and experience in treating these types of traumatically induced fractures.
Remember, your auto accident lawyer can help you with the legal and insurance issues, but you must make sure you seek help from the right medical practitioners to take care of your injuries.
Stewart J. Guss has been practicing personal injury and auto accident law in Houston, Tomball, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands and throughout Texas for almost 20 years. If you have questions about your auto accident injuries, call today for a free consultation at 800-898-4877. Remember, there is no charge for that phone call and he will not charge you dime unless he wins your case!
