How Long Do You Have to Go to the Doctor After a Slip and Fall?

If you get injured in a slip and fall accident, it is important to go to a hospital as soon as possible. If you do not notice the symptoms of an injury right away, however, you may delay in seeking medical care. Before you file an insurance claim, find out how a delay in care could affect your odds of obtaining compensation. While Nevada law does not have anything requiring a victim to go to the doctor within a certain time, delaying medical care could impact your settlement.

Why You Shouldn’t Delay Medical Care

When it comes to visiting a doctor after a slip and fall accident, the sooner, the better. Although there is no law mandating that you must visit a hospital immediately – or see a doctor at all – it is best practice in personal injury law to visit a doctor right away after any type of accident. You should go to the doctor as soon as you can after a slip and fall accident in Las Vegas for many different reasons.

• To get a prompt and accurate injury diagnosis.
• To obtain the treatment you need to make a full recovery.
• To avoid further injury or making your injuries worse.
• To show an insurance company that you did your part to mitigate your losses.
• To receive x-rays and medical records that can prove your injury.

Delaying medical care could interfere with your physical recovery. It could also make it more difficult to convince an insurance company to pay full price for your losses. The insurance company may blame you for the current severity of your injuries if you did not go to a doctor right away. It might also believe your injuries could not have been that serious if you were able to delay medical care, or that they arose from a different accident.

Injuries With Delayed Symptoms

Sometimes, a delay in seeking medical care is not your fault. If you felt fine immediately after your slip and fall accident, you might have skipped going to the hospital only to notice symptoms emerge hours or even days later. In this situation, you may have to work harder to prove your injury claim to an insurance company. Certain injuries are more well-known for having delayed or hidden symptoms than others.

• Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Whiplash
• Herniated and slipped disks
• Pulled or strained muscles
• Nerve damage

You might not notice these injuries right away because the symptoms didn’t surface yet, or else your adrenaline from the fall might have been masking the pain. Either way, if you waited to see a doctor, prepare to defend yourself against an insurance company’s allegations that you exacerbated your injuries or something else caused them.

How Can You Prove Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim?

If your medical treatment timeline is getting in the way of your slip and fall accident claim, you can hire an attorney in Las Vegas to help you prove your case. An attorney can use evidence such as your medical records, statements from your doctor, eyewitness accounts, photographs, video footage and expert testimony to prove that your injuries occurred in the slip and fall. Your lawyer can also work with medical experts to help you establish the extent and severity of your injury, even if you waited to seek medical care.

Overall, going to a doctor right away can protect your physical health as well as your financial recovery. Do your best to visit your primary care physician or the nearest hospital in Las Vegas immediately after a slip and fall accident. Even if you do not feel injured, you may have a hidden injury that a doctor can diagnose before you notice symptoms. If, for some reason, you do delay medical care, hire an attorney to help you with what may be a more difficult insurance process.