How to treat an injury
If you are ever in an accident, it is important to seek immediate medical attention for any injury. Major injuries should be handled by medical professionals on the scene or at a hospital. However, sometimes you don’t feel the effects of an accident until the next day or even the next week. You can do a few things to help with minor injuries at home:
- Use a heating pad on any sore muscles.
- Use ice for any bruises.
- Use a mix of hot and cold treatment on a sore back or injuries that seem to go beyond sore muscles: heat for 20 minutes, take off for 20 minutes, ice for 20 minutes, no ice for 20 minutes, and then repeat.
- Use OTC painkillers as needed, but follow instructions for amounts taken.
- Keep minor scratches cleaned and bandaged for 1-2 days until healed.
When to see a doctor
If home treatments do not help the injury, make it feel worse, or last more than 2-3 days, you should see your doctor. If pain goes away and then comes back a few days later, you may want to consult with your doctor as well. Most minor injuries should go away within a few days, although things like a neck or back injury can be longer lasting and should be treated by your doctor.
What to do if an accident claim is filed
If an injury claim is filed due to a car accident, you want to be even more careful about documenting your injury and subsequent treatment. Even if you feel your injury will likely go away in a few days, if you have filed an accident claim, you must seek a doctor’s care for the injury.
However, if you do not notice an immediate injury, but realize you have back pain that recurs due to the accident, you have up to two years to file an accident claim in Texas. With such a long time window for the statute of limitations, it is even more important to document the injury, treatment, time lost on the job, and any other expenses incurred due to the injury. This will also help your case should it go to court.
If you feel an injury is due to an accident, it is recommended to seek the assistance of a lawyer to help you through the claim process. Our office is always happy to assist you through this process.
