Statistics show that there are around six million car accidents in the US each year.
Many of these will cause no injuries, or only minor cuts and bruises. Unfortunately, many others cause serious injuries that require ongoing medical attention.
If you’ve suffered an injury in a car accident, you’ll need to visit an auto accident doctor.
Read on as we go through car crash 101, explaining what an auto accident doctor is and how to get an appointment with one.
Where Should I Go When I Have an Accident?
Directly after your accident you should go to either an urgent care facility or your primary care physician, depending on the severity of your injuries.
If your injuries are very serious, go straight to the emergency room. These are designed to deal with critical injuries quickly.
In some cases your primary care physician may refuse to treat injuries that result from car accidents.
This might be because they do not have an arrangement in place to collect money from insurance companies for treating these injuries. They might also refuse for fear that they might have to testify in court at some later point in relation to the incident.
Car Crash 101: What Is an Auto Accident Doctor?
An auto accident doctor is a physician who specializes in the treatment of injuries from car accidents.
When your primary care physician is unable or unwilling to treat you, you should see an auto accident doctor. The primary care physician may be able to refer you, though this is not always the case.
An auto accident doctor will often deal only with injuries that are typical of car accidents. These include:
- Head trauma
- Skin damage
- Orthopedic issues, such as broken bones
- Internal bleeding
Many car accident practices will have a team of doctors, each specializing in a different area. Therefore, if you’ve had a serious accident and sustained several different injuries, you won’t have to go to different places to get specialist treatment for each one.
Do I Have to See a Doctor?
If you’ve been in an accident but you think you’re fine, you might be tempted not to bother seeing a doctor. This is a mistake.
Many injuries that are typical of motor accidents do not show symptoms right away. Spinal injuries, head trauma, internal bleeding, concussion, and whiplash are just some examples of conditions that can take a while to become apparent.
The only way to make sure you’re healthy after a car accident is to see a doctor.
Getting the Care You Need
If you’ve sustained an injury in a car accident, you probably don’t want to spend much time worrying about how and where to get care. You’ll just want it done, as quickly and efficiently as possible.
However, the first lesson in car crash 101 pertains to auto accident doctors. Not every physician will treat auto accident injuries, so you need to find one who will.
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