The Right (& Wrong) Way To Handle Car Accident Pain
Posted on: November 11, 2021
But there’s a right and a wrong way to handle car accident pain.
If you’ve ever been in a car accident—even a “fender bender”—you know how much pain it can cause.
From bruises to broken bones and everything in between, when cars collide, it’s the body that suffers. And after the shock and adrenaline have worn off, you’re left with the sudden realization that you’ve experienced an injury.
No type of pain should ever be brushed off or taken lightly. In this article, we’ll talk about how to manage your car accident pain for the best results.
Take Car Accident Pain Seriously
Your first step following a car accident should always include a visit to your doctor.
After a relatively minor car accident, it is very common to feel perfectly fine at first. You might think you were lucky enough to get through the accident unscathed.
But delayed onset pain can set in as much as two weeks later. Unfortunately, by this time, the deadline for you to use your PIP coverage has passed and you will have to pay for any medical treatment out of your own pocket.
Regardless of the level of pain you experience—or the belief that it may go away—you should always seek medical treatment as soon as possible following a car accident. Your healthcare practitioner will be able to see the injury (and start treating it) long before the injury may set in and become more problematic.
Take Medication Cautiously
After a car accident, your goal is to get better, not create new problems. Yet every day, people cause more harm than good by misusing pain medications.
As recently as 2020, nearly half of all prescriptions written in the United States were for opioids. While these numbers are somewhat of an improvement, this is still far too many people at risk of developing an opioid dependency.
Very few people set out to become addicted to opioids; they trust that their doctor knows the best way to handle their car accident pain. But when overprescribed and misused, these drugs can cause serious harm.
In addition to side effects like drowsiness and confusion, opioids can slow your heart rate and breathing. Too high a dose can be fatal, but for most people, the most common threat is developing an addiction.
Opioid addictions are very hard to overcome and can cause serious harm to your life and the lives of those around you.
What To Do Instead
If your doctor prescribes you an opioid for your car accident pain, seek a second opinion.
There are very few injuries that necessitate the use of opioids and there are plenty of treatment options to choose from (with fewer harmful side effects). In most cases, a simple over-the-counter painkiller works just as well.
But no medication should be your only form of treatment for car accident pain.
Chiropractors and physical therapists aim to treat the root cause of your injury (not just the symptoms) and many people are surprised to learn that their services are covered by PIP insurance.
Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
Car accident pain isn’t just an annoying addition to your life, it takes time, energy, and money to properly treat.
Regardless of who was at-fault for the accident, you will have to deal with an insurance company in order to receive compensation for your injuries. And the best way to make sure you are treated fairly is to work with a car accident attorney.
An attorney not only knows what your claim is worth, they have experience in dealing with insurance companies. They know the right questions to ask, what to expect, and how to get you the best possible results.
Conclusion
If you’re living with car accident pain, you should know that you have rights.
At Beers & Gordon, we’re committed to fighting for those rights so that you can focus on your recovery. If you have auto insurance coverage, you are entitled to receive certain benefits under your policy. Unfortunately, these benefits rarely come easily.
Our attorneys have experience on both sides of the bench, having represented injured car accident victims as well as the insurance companies. We put this information to work for every case we take on and will work as hard for you as we would for our own family.
Call today to schedule a free consultation and see how much your claim is worth.