How to Find a Doctor After a Car Accident
In the past, our team has discussed why it’s important to see a doctor after a car accident. Today, we’ll be talking about how to find a doctor after a car accident. While the answer might seem as simple as, “I’ll just see my regular doctor,” situations involving car accident settlements are seldom that simple.
In fact, many primary care physicians will urge you to see a specialist or to seek emergency care immediately after a car accident. Some primary care doctors will do everything possible to not treat accident victims directly. To help you learn the steps of finding excellent medical care quickly, the personal injury lawyers at Patterson Legal Group recommend the following.
Seek Emergency Care to Pinpoint Injuries
If it’s apparent that your injuries will affect or potentially affect your quality of life then you should seek emergency care as soon as possible–preferably within 72 hours of the accident. Even if you feel fine, getting checked at the emergency room is a good idea, since adrenaline can mask the symptoms of many injuries.
The goal is to pinpoint the exact nature of your injuries so that you can seek treatment from a specialist, while coordinating with your primary care provider. This should be done as soon as possible, both for the sake of your health and getting your settlement processed quickly. Delaying medical care can lead to compound injuries, while the statute of limitations in Kansas and Missouri gives you two years and five years, respectively, to take legal action for an accident.
Find a Specialist That Knows Your Particular Injury
Finding the right doctor for your particular injury is integral to getting healthy. Whether you need an orthopedist, neurologist, or chiropractor, you should ask your primary care physician to give you a referral once your injuries have been properly diagnosed.
If you do not have a primary care doctor or your doctor is unable to find you a specialist then you can rely on the team at Patterson Legal Group. Our staff can connect you with some of the top healthcare professionals in Kansas and Missouri. After successfully representing clients that have suffered brain injuries, broken bones, soft tissue damage, and more, our attorneys have forged close relationships with numerous specialists and can help you find the care that you need.
Work With, But Don’t Rely On, Your Primary Care Provider
Primary care doctors can play a vital role in helping you recover from a car accident. If you’ve been seeing your doctor for years then they have a solid roadmap of your health and can help you find the best treatment for your body. However, when it comes to specific injuries, you should see a specialist.
Most primary care providers fall under family medicine or internal medicine. While both have training in broad areas of medicine, they likely cannot treat torn ligaments as well as an orthopedist or traumatic brain injuries as well as a neurologist.
To use a football analogy that most Midwesterners can appreciate, your primary care physician is like a head coach. They are responsible for your overall health and helping you win in the long term. A specialist, such as an orthopedist that focuses on whiplash, is like a placekicker. A placekicker has a very specific skill that can earn a precise number of points. A kicker can help you win a game, like a specialist can help you overcome a specific injury. A head coach can help you have years or decades of success, like how a primary care provider can help manage your health.
Need to Find a Doctor After a Car Accident?
From building a case designed to win you the money that you deserve to helping you find the right specialist for your injuries, the team at Patterson Legal Group is here for you. While many people throughout Kansas and Missouri know Patterson Legal Group for our strong case results, we also have a reputation for impeccable customer service. This includes connecting clients with top healthcare professionals, many of whom specialize in treating accident victims. When you work with us, you can be assured of a top-notch legal team that will take care of all your legal needs and help you find a doctor after a car accident.
If you’ve been in a car accident then give us a call today for a free consultation at 316-550-0000 or connect with us online through LiveChat. For more than 25 years, Patterson Legal Group has been helping people throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, fight back against insurance companies and get the highest compensation possible for their injuries. Best of all, we work on a “no win, no fee” basis, so you don’t pay a dime unless we win money on your behalf. Give us a call today and you’ll quickly learn why we’ve become one of the most trusted names in personal injury law.
