5 Ways to Speed up Your Recovery after a Car Accident
Being involved in an auto accident can be an unsettling experience. The accident can cause ongoing physical pain that is not always easy to detect. In fact, sometimes you may not notice the pain until you start doing certain activities. Over time, however, the extent of your injuries becomes more evident.
Recovering from a car accident is a process that takes time and patience. That said, there are some steps you can take immediately after the accident to speed up the recovery time:
- Seek a Thorough Medical Examination Immediately
As mentioned earlier, injuries sustained after a car accident are not always readily apparent. In fact, some conditions (such as internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries) can be even more severe than injuries that are more obvious (such as cuts and bruises). For this and many other reasons, it is very important not to obtain a comprehensive exam right away and not put it off because everything “seems okay”. The sooner you are checked out by a qualified medical professional, the sooner you will know exactly what injuries you have. This will allow you to begin the appropriate treatment and get on the path to recovery.
- Do Everything the Doctor Recommends
Once you have been fully checked out and have received a proper diagnosis, be sure to follow all the advice and treatment the doctor prescribes. It may be frustrating to be told you need to take a certain amount of time off from work to rest when you feel like you can go back to work right away. You may also feel like it is unnecessary to visit various specialists and have follow-up tests to confirm or rule out certain conditions. Put your feelings aside and follow your doctor’s advice. Though doctors are not always 100% correct, they are professionals with medical wisdom backed by years or decades of experience and expertise, and if you follow their recommendations, chances are you will recover far more quickly from your injuries.
- Follow Through on all Necessary Rehabilitation
Along these same lines, be sure to follow through on any rehabilitation your doctor deems necessary. This is an area where a lot of people struggle. Many injuries require physical therapy as part of the recovery plan. We all know how time-consuming it is to go in for therapy 3 or 4 times a week. On top of that, they usually ask you to do a series of exercises on your own. It is very important to do your exercises and follow any other advice your therapist gives. This is the point at which you are regaining your ability to use certain areas of your body that were injured, and by doing your exercises, you can help ensure that the necessary rehabilitation time is minimized.
- Visit a Mental Health Professional
Car accidents can be traumatic, and many victims suffer emotional distress in addition to physical injuries. Some common signs of emotional/psychological distress after an auto accident include depression, anxiety, insomnia, memory loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experiencing these symptoms after an incident such as a car accident is fairly common and not something to be ashamed of. But if you fail to seek treatment for them, they are not likely to go away on their own. In fact, if emotional distress is left untreated, it can make the physical symptoms worse. By consulting with a mental health professional soon after the accident, you can have any resulting psychological issues treated right away so their affects can be mitigated.
- Retain Experienced Legal Counsel
The physical, emotional, and financial burdens are more than enough for anyone to deal with after being injured in a car accident. When you are going through all this, the last thing you should have to be worried about is the legal process. If your injuries resulted from the negligence or reckless actions of another party, you have the right to compensation. That said, it is not always easy to recover the damages you are entitled to, especially if you try to pursue the claim on your own. By working with a seasoned personal injury attorney, you can ensure that your claim will be properly valued and that every available legal avenue will be pursued in order to recover full compensation.
At Bailey, Javins, and Carter, we have several decades of experience representing victims who have been injured in an auto accident. We have been at the forefront of personal injury law, and over the years, we have successfully handled some of the most complex cases against even the most well-funded adversaries. Our attorneys are knowledgeable and compassionate, and we have the skills, resources, and dedication to provide the strong legal representation you need and deserve.
