Why Seek Medical Attention after a Rear-End Crash in Buffalo
When a rear-end car accident happens, victims of the collision could be hurt as a result of the crash impact. It is imperative for everyone involved in the accident to seek medical attention. You should get an exam performed even if you believe your injuries are relatively minor and will go away on their own.
Why Seek Medical Attention After a Rear-End Crash in Buffalo?
New York is a no fault insurance state, and every driver has to buy personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage. This means no matter how a rear-end crash happened, all victims can make a claim with their own insurance provider to have certain post-crash losses covered. Covered losses can include medical bills.
Getting an auto insurer to pay for your injury treatment can save you a significant amount of money, especially as Auto Insurance Center warns the average cost of a personal injury protection (PIP) claim was $8,017 as of 2013. If you cannot make a successful injury claim, you will have to cover costs of necessary treatment and bear other expenses of the rear-end accident on your own.
To make a successful injury claim, you have to be able to provide proof of injuries sustained in the accident. You must both show the crash caused the injuries and also show the extent of the injuries. You can do this only if you go and see a doctor and the doctor conducts a comprehensive exam. The doctor should carefully document all of the damage sustained in the crash as well as how badly each injury affects your health over the short-term and long-term.
When you make an injury claim, the medical records from after the accident will be used to determine if you are entitled to compensation and the amount of damages. You do not want to be left without medical records due to skipping the doctor, as this could mean you are not able to make your claim.
Medical records showing the extent of injuries will also be useful if you suffered serious injuries and are able to make a personal injury claim against the other driver in the crash. Drivers have to buy liability insurance in New York, and crash victims get to sue when their injuries are more serious than no fault policies cover.
Victims have to prove the other driver was liable, which is usually easy for drivers in lead vehicles in rear-end crash cases since there is a presumption the rear driver is responsible for hitting the other vehicle from behind. Victims also have to prove how badly they were hurt, which medical records will do. The case may settle outside of court or be resolved through injury litigation, but the medical records can help convince either an insurer or a jury regarding the payment of appropriate crash damages.