How Late is Too Late to Get Medical Care After a Car Accident in Georgia?

Last week set a new record for calls from the too little, too late prospective clients. Too little, too late callers and normal conservative folks who were hurt in car accidents in Atlanta but were not hurt badly. They typically have bad neck or back pain but act like the conservative people they are and give their bodies 2 weeks to heal on its own. It makes sense because most of us have found that time and rest is the best medicine. The problem lies in the minority who, after two weeks still have substantial pain and finally decide to go see a medical doctor. The typical caller tells me they called the insurance adjuster and asked if the company would pay for the visit and were told “no.”

That is the reality. Car insurance companies are for profit businesses. Given that they already view non-obvious injury claims with a healthy dose of skepticism, people who wait more than a few days to see their doctor after a car accident are considered to be flat out liars by insurance companies. In all but the most severe crashes, you can kiss any injury claim goodbye if you wait more than two weeks to see the Doctor. Insurance carriers wont listen because juries often return defense verdicts on those facts.

Is it fair? No but life is not fair, as your parents used to tell you.

So, why do some drivers wait so long to go to the Doctor? I have a fundamental belief in the character of people. Despite 10 years of working for insurance companies and realizing that one in three injury claims I fought against involved a generous helping of exaggeration and lawyer encouraged chiropractic visits, I still think that most Georgians only get medical care after a car crash when they actually need it. My years of practice as a injury victim’s lawyer has only confirmed that belief.

And that leads us to this unfortunate group; they are really hurt and their bodies are not healing after two weeks. Is there no chance of getting fair compensation for the injury if you wait more than two weeks after a car accident to treat? It is not impossible but it better have been a catastrophic crash and please do not go to some jackleg chiropractic outfit with the word “accident” in their name. Treating with those folks is an accident of its own.

The bottom line is, if the pain does not abate after three days, get to an urgent care clinic or to your family doctor. Odds are things will resolve on their own in two weeks. Just don’t put yourself in a position where it’s three weeks after the car accident and you are calling me because I will tell you “too little, too late.