• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Accident DoctorAccident Doctor Logo

Accident Doctor

Doctors who treat Car Accidents

Find a Doctor
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • FAQ
    • Finding a Doctor after a car accident guide
    • Med Pay Guide
    • What is Personal Injury Protection or PIP
    • Insurance Requirements
    • Statute of Limitations for personal injury
    • How long will you be sore
  • Doctors
    • Auto Injury Doctor
    • Car Wreck Doctor
    • Car Accident Chiropractor
    • Doctors on Liens
    • Doctors that bill the at fault auto insurance company
    • Doctors who accept attorney’s letter of protection
    • Doctors who take Auto Insurance
    • No fault doctors
    • Personal injury doctors
    • Pip Doctors that take no fault auto insurance
    • Third Party Billing Doctors in car accidents
    • Workers Comp Doctor
  • Contact Us
  • Find a Doctor
Injured weeks ago from car accident

Can i be hurt from a car accident from months ago

You are here: Home / Accident Doctor News / Can i be hurt from a car accident from months ago
June 23, 2020 by Sidney

In short, yes it can.  In fact, whiplash and many soft tissue injuries can take weeks and even months to feel.  Moreover, without proper treatment, many soft tissue injuries can lead to long-term pain and difficulty. Always seek medical care after an auto accident no matter if you feel pain or not. There are signs you can look for if you are injured.

How can a car accident from months or even years ago produce symptoms today?

Due to stress, adrenaline and/or shock, many symptoms go unchecked directly following an auto accident. If symptoms do occur the day of the accident, this could be a sign of a more serious injury. Over time, bones may shift in the direction of the damaged ligaments and tendons, especially if the injury occurred in the neck area. Of course, this condition could get worse over time, and may require special medical attention to fully heal.

check up after a car accident weeks ago

In many cases, damaged nerves will become irritated with time and this is when the pain will start. For example, neck bones may come into contact with nerves causing both pain and potentially headaches.

Healing

Since the auto accident occurred some time ago, your neck may have healed in this position. Moreover, the joints in the spine may not move or adjust like they should because of scar tissue.
A good question to ask after any accident is whether you are truly injured but not feeling the pain or symptoms right away.  This is possible because of the nature of car accident injuries. For example, whiplash should be taken seriously. Whiplash can produce long lasting effects, and symptoms may not present themselves for months or years after an auto accident.

Every car collision is different and commonly requires unique treatment from a team of Doctors.  Not to mention that accident injuries are oftentimes unique and everyone heals at a different pace.  Seeking medical attention is the best thing you can do to prevent additional injuries and pain, but also to help support your injury claim.

Delays and Gaps in treatment after an accident?

Delays and Gaps in medical care or treatment are heavily scrutinized by insurance companies. In general, no treatment means no injury. Insurance Companies would more than likely drag you through the court system than pay an old medical claim.  For example, one for which the plaintiff was not seen by a doctor for weeks, months, or even years after the accident.

Time is not on your side after any car wreck.  The insurance company will be watching those first few weeks closely.  They want to see if you are truly injured and seek treatment, or if you delay.  Statistics show that people who are truly injured seek immediate medical care.  Of course, this is why many patients will visit the Emergency Room after a serious car accident.

Will I need an attorney for treatment?

Depending on your state, you will likely need an attorney if you have delayed pain onset for an older accident.  PIP states generally provide medical care after any car accident, but commonly have a limit for treatment time.  For example, Florida has a 14-day deadline to qualify for PIP coverage.  Otherwise, you will most likely need to use an attorney to pay for medical care.

When hiring an attorney, you will commonly use what is called a Letter of Protection or LOP for treatment.  The attorney will issue the LOP to the Doctor, who will provide treatment today in hopes of being paid at a later date.  The LOP gives the Doctor comfort that they will get paid when a settlement is reached on the personal injury case.

It is always smart to ask your Doctor for recommendations for a good Injury Attorney.  Not all attorneys are the same, and many do not specialize in complicated automobile accidents.  A good accident Doctor works with a variety of good and bad Law Firms, and can help you save time and money when finding the right Attorney.

Will I pay out of pocket for delayed treatment?

When filing a personal injury claim or using an LOP, you generally will not pay out of pocket for treatment.  Again, your attorney will provide your accident Physician with a lien against the money received from the settlement.  In fact, many personal injury claims will also provide money directly to the victim for pain and suffering.  However, there is no way to prove pain and suffering if you do not seek treatment.

In PIP or No Fault states, your Accident Physician can bill the insurance company directly.  In other words, you generally will not need an injury attorney to get treatment after any accident.  Make sure to check your states PIP limits.  You may need to use an attorney if you have reached your PIP limits and need additional medical care.

What should I do after my car wreck?

The best advice we can give to anyone involved in an auto accident is to document everything.  You can never have too much documentation when it comes to a complicated car accident, and time is not on your side.  The insurance company will be watching those first weeks and months closely to see if you seek medical care.

Not only can delayed treatment negatively impact your insurance claim, but delays could also lead to further damage or additional injuries.  Your body is weak after any accident, leaving the damaged area vulnerable.  Seeking treatment is the only way to guarantee that you have proper documentation.

Get the help you deserve from a team of Doctors working under one comprehensive treatment plan.  Search our database of Doctors to locate on office near you.

Category: Accident Doctor News, After the accident

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Frank Trowler

    July 14, 2020 at 11:57 am

    Sometimes the accident and injury chiropractic specialist will order one or more imaging scans including x-rays, CTs (computerized tomography), or MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging). Just to be sure and for the sake of your love ones better take care of yourself. Either that or a long-term effect/defect to yourself/health.

  2. tac lawyer toorak Victoria

    November 6, 2020 at 1:32 am

    During your very first consultation or professional
    lawyers will certainly review this with you.

  3. Alice Carroll

    May 19, 2022 at 1:55 am

    Thanks for the explaining what an LOP for treatment is because I’m not quite sure about the legal stuff involved in car accidents. I will be helping my sister get auto accident medical treatment soon because she broke a few bones after an accident a day ago. It would be best to see how she could be compensated since I can imagine that the medical bills will be huge even for small bone fractures.

Accident Doctors

Contact us

  • Facebook
  • Mail
  • Twitter

1-888-966-9838

Please Read

Disclaimer

Privacy

Terms of Use

Copyright © 2023 · Accident Doctor · All Rights Reserved