Urgent Care or ER After an Accident? How Medical Choices Impact Your Personal Injury Claim

After you’ve been in an accident, quickly getting medical treatment is always advisable. Fortunately, most people have many choices when it comes to receiving medical care. Still, costs can factor into deciding where to go or if you should go at all. However, even if you’re unsure of the seriousness of your injury, getting checked out should be a high priority because many life-threatening or otherwise severe injuries can go undetected. Likewise, if your injury was caused by the negligence of another party, you owe it to yourself to explore your legal options.

You may be eligible to recover compensation for your accident, including medical expenses. Still, at Morgan and Morgan, we understand that it’s a confusing time. You don’t want to risk the financial responsibility of an emergency room visit when urgent care could do just as well. To answer the question, “Does urgent care do X-rays?” we’ll go over the differences between emergency rooms and urgent care, as well as discuss your legal options for seeking compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault.

What Is the Difference Between Urgent Care and Emergency Rooms?

Emergency rooms, as the name suggests, are for medical emergencies. Issues like severe bleeding or pain, heart attack or stroke symptoms, and severe breathing difficulties are all conditions that warrant a trip to the emergency room. Still, suppose you’ve been in an accident that may have caused damage to internal organs or a severe fracture. In that case, an emergency room is the best choice since it is staffed with doctors trained to treat these conditions, and the facility usually has suitable equipment.  

On the other hand, urgent care is for injuries and illnesses that are non-life-threatening. To address the question, “Does urgent care do X-rays?” they can treat minor fractures and breaks in extremities, such as your hand, and they generally do have the capacity to perform X-rays to diagnose conditions like broken bones and joint injuries.

However, one of the most significant differences between the two choices is accessibility and the wait time. Urgent care facilities usually have a shorter wait time than emergency rooms because if someone comes into an emergency room with a more serious condition than yours, they will have priority. Conversely, urgent care patients are usually seen within 15 minutes on average. Additionally, many facilities have extended hours or are operational 24 hours a day. Since accidents don’t happen on a schedule, a trip to urgent care is a reasonable alternative when you can’t see your primary care physician.

Another big difference between urgent care and emergency rooms is the cost. In fact, many people don’t get the care they need because they don’t think they can afford it. However, if your accident was caused by someone else, there is a decent chance you won’t be the one responsible for paying. Nonetheless, emergency room visits are typically much more costly than urgent care. The choice is yours, but we urge you to get medical care following any accident.

When to Choose Urgent Care or an Emergency Room?

Urgent care facilities can treat a wide variety of health conditions and, depending on the severity of your injury, make a lot of sense over emergency rooms for the reasons previously mentioned. Here are some injuries and illnesses that can be effectively treated at urgent care:

• Stomach pain
• Ear infections
• Eye infections
• Sinus infections
• Allergies
• Colds
• Flu
• Pneumonia
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Pulled muscles
• Asthma
• Bone breaks
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Skin disorders
• Urinary tract infections
• Strep throat
• Minor burns
• Minor wounds
• Minor cuts
• Allergic reactions
• Insect bites
• Bronchitis
• Sprains and strains
• Animal bites

The emergency room is probably the best choice when a condition has a sudden and severe onset. Here are a few conditions that should be handled by emergency room staff:

• Shortness of breath
• A sudden, severe headache
• Any sort of head trauma
• Bleeding that won’t stop
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Loss of consciousness
• Chest pain
• Severe burns
• Spine injuries
• Neck injuries
• Sudden pain in the arm or jaw
• Deep wounds
• Severe fractures
• Severe allergic reactions
• High fevers that don’t come down after medication
• Poisoning
• Coughing up blood
• Smoke inhalation
• Severe pain

What Type of Injuries Can an X-ray Reveal?

X-rays are used to diagnose a variety of illnesses and injuries by sending X-ray particles through the body that are captured on specialized film or a computer. Generally, a doctor will order an X-ray so that they can better understand why you are in pain or monitor the progression of an illness. When people think about X-rays, broken bones typically come to mind. Still, X-rays can detect dislocated joints, foreign bodies, infections, arthritis, certain cancers, abnormal growths, congestive heart failure, blood vessel blockages, lung diseases, and stomach conditions.

The X-ray is an indispensable medical machine that alerts physicians to otherwise undetectable medical conditions so that they can accurately treat patients. Even if a bone is obviously broken, an X-ray allows the doctor to decide how to treat the fracture so that it heals correctly.

Why Is Medical Care Important if I Want Compensation for My Injury?

Now that we’ve provided an answer to your question, “Does urgent care do X-rays?” you might want to learn more about how medical care can help your personal injury claim following an accident. Medical documentation is generally the single most crucial aspect of a personal injury claim because it provides proof of an injury. Without it, you will have a substantially harder time collecting compensation from the negligent party that caused you harm.

The earlier you seek treatment after an accident, the better. Prompt attention is essential, both for your health and for the legitimacy of your claim. Delays in medical care give rise to the suspicion that your injuries weren’t caused by the incident in question. Instead, your injuries may have occurred while engaging in horseplay, playing sports, or even slipping in your own house. When medical treatment is delayed, this gives an insurance adjuster the ammunition they need to deny your claim. They will look very hard for any reason to reduce payment or refuse it altogether.

Another way medical care can impact your case is the length of treatment. Suppose you broke a bone, and surgery is required to repair it properly. In that case, your medical expenses will be higher, and thus your damages will be more significant. You may have to attend physical therapy sessions or need medical devices as you heal. In cases of severe injury, you may even need to stay in the hospital. The extent of the injury could also have an impact on your life. For example, you may not be able to work, you may now have to live with chronic pain, and your personal life will suffer because you can no longer enjoy things you once did.

How long it takes to recover, the impact on your life, and future medical expenses linked to your accident should all be factored into your damages. These expenses should be the responsibility of the party that caused your injury.

How Following Doctor’s Orders Can Impact a Personal Injury Claim?

While a long-term treatment plan and extended recovery time can help your claim in regard to a settlement amount, not following the doctor’s orders will hurt your chances of recovering compensation. Suppose your doctor orders you to cease certain activities, like playing sports, during your recovery. Now, suppose you don’t follow your doctor’s advice. In that case, the other party’s insurance company and their lawyers will make it their business to find out and use this information against you. Their stance will be that if you’re well enough to engage in sports or other physical recreational activities, your injuries must not be that severe.

Additionally, suppose you’re ignoring your doctor’s advice but are seeking compensation for lost wages because you can’t return to work yet. In that case, you’ll likely get pushback because you’re not taking the proper steps to improve your condition.

Likewise, missing doctor’s appointments or prescribed therapy sessions is very unwise for the same reasons. The other party’s team will use this to argue that you aren’t as hurt as you claim to be. Otherwise, you would be doing all you could to get better.

Finally, while not following your doctor’s orders can hurt your chances of successfully recovering compensation in a personal injury claim, ignoring recommendations from your healthcare provider can cause long-term damage to your body. For example, a bone break may never heal properly, or you may develop permanent instability, arthritis, and other complications from a sprain.

When to Seek Legal Advice After an Accident That Caused Injury?

Generally, getting a consultation from a personal injury lawyer after an accident that wasn’t your fault is a good idea. We offer free case evaluations at Morgan and Morgan to determine the best legal path forward for injured parties. We can answer many of your questions and provide you with a sound strategy to pursue compensation.

Usually, the type of injury and how it happened will be a big factor in this evaluation. We will help determine whether you have a case and what damages you may be eligible to go after. The lawyers at Morgan and Morgan will know exactly how to get the best settlement for your specific legal matter.

Some cases are more complicated than others, though. Typically, you’ll need a lawyer if your injury requires long-term care, the accident resulted in a disability, or you’ve lost out on wages or income due to the accident. Our job is to help you recover meaningful compensation for your injury. Still, we also work to defend your rights and protect your interests. If your claim can’t be resolved through negotiations, we can also represent you in court.
 
Another reason to seek legal advice following an injury caused by another party is that we can work to hold medical bill collectors at bay while your case is resolved. Stressing over finances is not conducive to recovery, so we can work with your medical provider to reduce costs and delay payment until a settlement is reached.

What Kind of Damages Could I Get From a Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury compensation usually falls into two categories. The first is economic damages, which are easily quantifiable losses, such as medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and other losses that come with a bill or receipt. The other is non-economic damages which typically include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and even inconvenience.

Medical expenses are usually the foundation of personal injury claims, which is another reason why it’s important to follow up and get an X-ray if you suspect an injury. The extent of the injury will determine how much you may receive for pain and suffering, which can be a substantial portion of your award. However, the amount will be based on your unique circumstances. We invite you to reach out today for your free case evaluation. Even if we cannot take your case, we can provide valuable advice on your next steps.

You shouldn’t be left with medical expenses and suffer other financial and emotional losses without payment because of someone else’s negligence. Morgan and Morgan are here to help you recover the compensation you’re entitled to when another party causes you harm.