Slow and Steady – Why Injury Victims Shouldn’t Rush the Recovery Process

When someone is injured in any sort of accident, they want to get back to normal and back on their feet as quickly as possible, of course. But injured accident victims can sometimes rush their recovery and healing process and, in turn, risk reinjuring their bodies now or down the road. It is a careful balance.

Even athletic trainers advise people to go through the appropriate treatment of a sports injury. They have seen that if athletes have not received critical, slow, and steady medical treatment or have not strengthened the body parts around that joint, it can lead to further injuries to the same joints or other joints in the body.

How Medical Costs Affect the Speed of an Injury Victim’s Recovery

Unfortunately, medical expenses and rehabilitation costs always follow an accident. And, the more severe the injury, the more those expenses add up. 

On top of hospital stays, insurance co-pays, and the widespread pain from those injuries are, most likely, missed days from work during the recovery process, which leads to more of a financial burden. With limited funds and the lack of a way to pay for everything comes more stress, anxiety, and depression.

How Injury Victims are Affected by Psychological Trauma

Traumatic events from an accident can plague injured victims so intensely that they develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition that can impact all areas of their lives. This psychological trauma could linger on for years after the accident – even developing into alcoholism or substance abuse to combat the anxiety or depression. 

Anxiety and stress from PTSD can also build up into problems with concentration levels at work and in personal relationships.

How Injury Victims Should Follow the Road to Recovery

There is nothing more important to injury victims than returning to a normal life after suffering from a serious accident. Physical and psychological injuries, however, need time to heal. Rushing into physical activities before receiving medical clearance or proper therapy could be disastrous. 

There are a few methods to help victims move quicker and more successfully along the recovery process outside of surgeries to treat chronic pain after an accident, such as:

• Massage or myofascial therapy to release muscle pain, knots, and strains, plus to improve blood circulation
• Physical therapy or gentle exercise to regain strength and flexibility
• Medication for pain relief
• Spinal injections for any pain management
• Neck or back braces for added support
• Nutritional and lifestyle management as a supplemental treatment

Things Injury Victims Should Not Do After an Accident

Because injury victims have the right to recover compensation from the damages they received after an accident, there are certain things they should never do if they want the maximum amount of money from an insurance claim, including:

Do Not Underestimate Your Injuries

Many car crash victims think their injuries are not that bad, and by the time they realize they really are hurt, it can be too late to keep a more serious injury at bay. It is critical to always seek medical help after an accident. If not, underestimating injuries could negatively affect the recovery process by:

• Leading insurance companies and liable parties to question any injury claims made at a later date.
• Forcing the recovery process to be a more difficult and long one and add up to more missed days at work.

Even if injuries are not life-threatening and an ambulance may not be needed, drivers should never claim they are “okay,” just that they do not need an ambulance. Let a professional in the medical field determine how severe your injuries are and pay attention to these symptoms that could mean there is a serious underlying injury:

• Stiffness, soreness, or disorientation
• Restricted motion of a joint
• Confusion or fogginess
• Tweaked neck or back

Do Not Delay Taking Action

After a car accident, there are deadlines, or statutes of limitations, that a driver has to protect their legal rights. Car crash victims typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim – sometimes even sooner. Once that statute of limitation has passed, the driver loses the chance to file a claim.

This means they need to act fast on several things without delay to benefit from the recovery process, such as:

• Medical care. If injuries are not documented and treated right after the car accident, the driver’s health is at risk, as well as the potential compensation from a lawsuit.
• Gathering evidence. If there is a delay in investigating the accident, critical evidence may disappear, such as video surveillance footage, photos, or the memory of any eyewitnesses.
• Hiring an attorney. The longer an injury victim waits to seek legal counsel, the less chance the attorney will take on the case if he cannot properly prepare.

Do Not Fail to Call 911

While drivers are not required to call 911 after an accident in Massachusetts, there are many benefits to doing so, including:

• Getting any possible injuries checked out by emergency medical personnel.
• Getting a police report, which means the cars and the scene are examined by professionals.
• Getting evidence to support the injured victim’s claims that the other driver was responsible for causing the accident, such as in the case of a drunk driver.

Do Not Admit Fault

Admitting fault for a car accident is one of the biggest mistakes drivers can make. This includes when they are talking to the police, the other driver, witnesses, and the insurance company after a crash. 

This is because there are so many details and elements leading up to an accident that just happened after an accident. Rear-end drivers, for instance, may blame themselves for stopping too quickly but not realize that the other driver was tailgating them, which actually caused the accident. 

Some comments to avoid saying in the aftermath of a car crash that may seem like they are admitting fault without realizing it include:

• “I am sorry.”
• “I tried to slow down.”
• “I did not even see them.”

Comments like these might seem harmless, but they could be exactly what the insurance company needs as proof to reduce their liability and to compensate the victim as little as possible.

If you have been injured in an accident, please Call Riccio Law at 617-404-8878 to schedule a free consultation.