Diagnosing Yourself After An Accident Is Not A Good Idea
There was a recent ad for heartburn that started off with, “You wouldn’t want your doctor doing your job, so why are you doing his?” The ad goes on to show a guy in a long white coat handling a jack hammer, clumsy and inept, of course. Then cuts to this big, burly construction worker at the over-the-counter isle in the local drugstore, looking confused, attempting to choose an antacid for his heartburn. Although heartburn is hardly as serious as possible injuries sustained in auto accidents, the message remains pertinent and clear: let the doctor do his job.
So, how does this tie into the typical personal injury case? Well, the last thing an accident victim should do is self diagnose. This can ultimately become a very bad decision because any injuries you may have sustained might not initially be obvious. The best approach is, rather, to always take the precaution of seeing your medical provider so that you can be properly evaluated.
As reported by Steven Gursten of Michigan Auto Law on June 12th, 2012, there are lessons we can all learn when it comes to accidents and masked injuries. One recent example involved Commerce Secretary John Bryson and an auto accident he had Los Angeles.
As reported by The Detroit Free Press:
Commerce Secretary John Bryson is taking a medical leave of absence to undergo tests after suffering a seizure connected to two traffic accidents in the Los Angeles area over the weekend.
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Authorities said Bryson was driving alone in a Lexus in San Gabriel, a community of about 40,000 northeast of Los Angeles, when he struck the rear of a vehicle that had stopped for a passing train, authorities said. He spoke briefly with the three occupants and then hit their car again as he departed, investigators said. They followed him while calling police.Bryson was cited for felony hit-and-run, although he has not been charged. The secretary then struck a second car in the nearby city of Rosemead, where he was found unconscious in his car, authorities said.
Commerce Secretary Bryson sustained a traumatic brain injury in the car accident and didn’t even know it. He fled the scene, believing he was not injured and able to drive. He learned the hard way after hitting a second vehicle and being found unconscious.
Sometimes accident victims make the mistake of waiting too long for medical attention and realize their injuries later on. This can not only risk their well-being, but can also risk their chances of proving their damages and getting their medical bills properly paid for resulting in a headache on top of the one you already may have.
If you've been in an accident, don’t wait a couple of days or weeks for symptoms to develop before you see your doctor if you have any inkling that you have in fact been injured. You could be putting yourself, and your case, at risk.
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