You’ve just been in a car accident. Some jerk wasn’t paying attention and rear-ended your car. When the shock wears off and you gather your wits, you think you are ok. You feel a little stiff or a little sore, but that’s common right? There’s nothing that wrong. Besides, seeing a doctor or riding in the ambulance is expensive. Why spend all that money to prove what you already know?

Fast forward two weeks, and you can’t get out of bed. There is terrible pain in your back. It’ll pass, you say. You can just tough it out. The pain continues to get worse, until you find out that you have herniated discs that will likely require surgery to fix.

For some people, the realization that they have serious injuries may come far too late to take legal action against a negligent driver. Do not make this mistake. See a doctor after your accident.

Do not make the defense’s job easier for them

One of the most important parts of any successful personal injury case is having substantial evidence proving that the accident caused your injuries and ongoing pain and suffering. When you do not see a doctor, you will not have the evidence you need. In fact, the defense can claim that your injuries must not be that bad if you are not seeking medical treatment.

Additionally, the longer you wait to see a doctor, the easier it will be for the defense to argue that your accident was not the cause of your injuries. They may claim that you did something in the meantime. When you fail to seek appropriate medical attention, you are handing the defense an easy victory.

You have options for paying for care

One of the main reasons why people avoid going to the doctor is because, even with insurance, a high deductible or high co-pay can make treatment expensive. Additionally, your case can take a while to work its way through the legal system.

That is why you should talk to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident. If you are worried about affording treatment, your attorney can help you examine your options. These could include work-provided disability benefits, auto insurance coverage or negotiating an agreement with your doctor to pay for any treatment from the compensation you receive.

When you see a doctor after an accident, you can save yourself time, money and stress by addressing any problems early, before complications develop. You will also be helping your attorney build a winning case by providing the necessary evidence.