I was rare ended today, do I have to go to the hospital today?

Question

I was hit by a suv today, I know that I am going to be sore just from tightening up. But if it gets worse, will their insurance pay for me to get better, Or do I have to report pain today. I don't want to make a court thing out of this but I don't want to foot the bill either if it is more then just the normal pains. Please help.

Answer 1

ca surveyor is correct; i am a claim adjuster;

it is not uncommon for someone to experience pain/stiffness etc after a accident; a lot of people will wait it out 24 to 48 hours to see if it resolves; if it doesnt, then they may go to their family dr or to the emergency room or urgent care;

if a person reports feeling stiff/sore but has not sought treatment and subsequently in a day or two later does seek treatment, i usually assume that they believed something is wrong and accept that; now if you wait say 2 wks, you might a argument why you waited that long, since most soft tissue injuries like whiplash show up w/in few days;

a lot of people go to the emergency room, but the cost can be around 1K, especially if they do xrays; i believe if possible if you go to your own family doctor, cost is around 100 or so and your own doctor knowing you, would best know if addtl treatment maybe needed and would refer you to that person;

if you do seek treatment, keep all receipts including any RX if prescribed;

as a general rule, most companies will not reimburse you or pay up front for any medical bills; if the other company agrees that the suv is liable, they will settle with you seperately for your injury which would include your out of pocket medical bills and RX;

if you do decide to seek treatment, call your insurance company to see if you have PIP or medical payment coverage on your policy; if you do, then your company would reimburse you for your bills, then they would go after the other company for their payment;

as a rule, no provider will bill a insurance company; they will hold you responsible for payment and then you submit to your PIP or medical payment coverage for reimbursement; if you dont have either, then you could file under your health insurance if you have any;

the main thing is, you know how you feel; you make the decision if you need medical treatment or not;

good luck

Answer 2

Your explaination is very good... you are expecting some discomfort as a natural reaction... that is better then over reacting and expecting the worst.

Try this..

1) Call up your insurance company and report the accident. Explain the situation and report the discomfort/pain. After that let it go.. they will understand this. If the other insurance company calls.... refer them to YOUR insurance company.
2) Obviously if it (your health) becomes worse and crosses what ever threshold you have set between discomfort and 'I better have this looked at' then go to the doctor.
3) Exceptions... Head injuries, disorientation, nerve loss (numbness, ticks or twitches, etc..), bleeding internally (usually expressed in your urine or waste).. things like this require immediate intervention no matter how 'ok' you might feel. If you don't feel up to it, ask someone else to watch you for at least 24 hours.

Keep in mind.. these are guidelines only.. no one knows your body as well as you do.. pay attention to it.

The accident, claim, followup, are all secondary ... for those you simply have to let people know about it..not the details.

hope all goes well...

.

Answer 3

Make sure you report the accident to your insurance company and if you feel any pain go as soon as possible to see a doctor. I wouldn't wait more than a couple days. As long as it's not an emergency, it's understandable that it might take a few days to get an appointment with your doctor. Their insurance will pay your bill as long as it is proven that you were not at fault. Was a police report taken? The officer will usually write an opinion as to who they think is at fault. Otherwise, their insurance can fight the claim and you will have to pay for your medical care and then be reimbursed when everything is resolved.

Answer 4

since you were hit from the rear, its not your fault. if you got the others persons insurance info, call them ASAP and make sure they reported it. then you have plenty of time to see if you need medical care. i was hit from behind and it took me about 2 weeks to feel 100% again. It can take some time. If you need to get medical help you have up to 3 years to do it, although I wouldn't advise it. Most companies will try and get you to sign a paper to settle right away for a small amount so that you don't come back later and claim big medical bills. DON'T DO IT...this waives your rights to file later!

Answer 5

It would make sense if you are experiencing any type of discomfort. You can go to your primary physician instead of the hospital and report it as result of auto accident. I don't think having to go the same day as the accident really makes any difference, as long as you go soon and not wait a week. If you do decide to get checked out, call your auto insurance company or agent, and explain the situation to them also. They can guide you in the right direction and if you have the other party's insurance info, your company can contact theirs for reimbursement of medical treatment.

Answer 6

To be on the safe side, I'd go to your DOCTOR today just so that it can be REPORTED that you sought medical attention after the accident IN CASE something comes up later... VERY WISE of you to think about the aftermath because some injuries do NOT show up until somewhere down the road after a car accident...

Answer 7

Yes, go and get checked out. You might develop serious problems later.
To be on the safe side, go as soon as possible.
If if was the other driver's fault, their insurance will pay.
It's also a good idea to contact a lawyer. Almost none of such cases go to court. Your lawyer will settle with the insurance company of the other driver and make sure your medical bills are payed.
You will not have to pay to the lawyer. He or she will take part of the the settlement (usually 33%.)