Mike Hancock is the founder of Hancock Injury Attorneys, a former insurance defense attorney, and an AV-Preeminent–rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, with over 35 years of experience practicing personal injury law.
If you’ve been in a car accident in Florida and feel fine, don’t assume you don't need to go to the hospital. Delayed car accident injuries are more common than many people realize, and getting checked by a doctor right away can protect your health and legal rights.
At Hancock Injury Attorneys, we help car accident victims safeguard their insurance benefits. Here’s what you need to know:
Video Transcript:
You didn't go to the ER right after the crash. Did you kill your case by not doing so?
We often see this in car accident cases where our clients call us and tell us that they haven't gone to the emergency room yet. They tell us that immediately after the accident, they felt a little bit sore, but they didn't feel like they had any life-threatening injuries where they felt they needed to go by ambulance to the emergency room.
And does this kill your case? The short answer is no, but it does have an effect. It's just a logical effect. We go on a spectrum of minor accidents that don't need emergency room care to traumatic accidents where we have a helicopter performing life flight to the trauma center.
When an insurance adjuster looks at your case, they're going to look at how the accident happened, the damages involved in the accident, the damages involved to each car, and whether you sought immediate medical attention. So, does it ruin your case? No. But it does affect the value of your case.
Now, here's what we can add as your lawyer. When you call us, we will assess what your injuries are based upon what you're telling us your symptoms are. We will give you advice on what doctors to go to. That advice might be you should still go to the emergency room. It might be that you should go to urgent care, or it might be that you can follow up with an orthopedic doctor or a chiropractor or a physical therapist after the accident. It all depends on the severity of your symptoms.
We want to make sure that you are getting the proper medical treatment. We can provide that advice not only on where to go, but we also can provide advice on what specific doctors actually have the specialty to treat our clients who've been involved in these types of injuries.
So, does it affect or kill the value of your case? No. But it does have an effect. So, if you are on the fence and you haven't spoken to a lawyer yet and you think you might need to go to an emergency room, I would suggest by all means do so.
And if you don't want to go to the emergency room and take one step down, go to an urgent care that's convenient for you. And then at the very end of that, go ahead and call us. We're happy to give you more help on what you should do immediately after the accident and within the day or two or three after the accident. Those things that you're doing within those few days after the accident can make or break the value of your case.
If you have any more questions, please give me a call at 813-915-1110. I'd be happy to consult with you and answer any questions you might have. The consultation's always free.
Why Injuries Don’t Always Show Up Immediately
After a car crash, certain injuries can take hours or even days to become noticeable. Delayed car accident injuries often include:
- Whiplash
- Concussions and brain injuries
- Soft tissue injuries (muscle, ligament, and tendon damage)
- Spinal injuries, herniated discs
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
Without early treatment, these injuries can worsen over time. That’s why it’s crucial to go to the hospital after an accident and let medical professionals check for hidden damage, even if you feel okay.
You Need To Go To The Hospital Because Florida’s PIP Law Requires It
Under Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) law, you need to go to the hospital or get some kind of medical treatment within 14 days after a car accident, or else you will lose your $10,000.00 of PIP benefits. It’s called the No-Fault 14-Day Rule. If you experience delayed symptoms but wait too long to see a doctor, you could lose access to insurance benefits to pay for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Other out-of-pocket costs
Delaying care could jeopardize your ability to have medical bills or lost wages paid for by insurance coverage.
How Medical Records Affect Your Injury Claim
You need to go to the hospital quickly, not only to help your recovery, but also to protect your legal rights. If you wait too long and delayed symptoms appear later, it may be harder to prove the crash caused your injuries.
Immediate medical documentation creates a clear link between the accident and any injuries you suffer. Waiting too long can make it harder to prove your injuries were caused by the crash.
Medical records act as evidence of your injuries. Adjusters, judges, and juries look to your medical records to support your claim of injuries. If a complaint of pain or a symptom is not found in your medical records, you may not be able to prove the extent of your injuries.
Prompt medical records create a clear link between the accident and your injuries, which strengthens:
- Insurance claims
- Personal injury lawsuits
- PIP (Personal Injury Protection) benefits
The “Adrenaline Effect” After an Accident
After a collision, your body floods with adrenaline. This natural response can temporarily block pain and injury symptoms. It’s the body’s "fight or flight" hormone surges, leading to a temporary masking of pain and a heightened sense of alertness.
Many people don’t realize they’re hurt until hours or days later, once the adrenaline wears off. It’s not unusual for us to take calls from new clients who report they didn’t start to feel pain until the next morning or even days later.
Adrenaline acts as a natural painkiller, temporarily numbing pain and allowing individuals to focus on getting to safety. This "stress-induced analgesia" can be deceptive, as people might not realize the extent of their injuries and the need to go to the hospital. This is one of the key reasons why delayed car accident injuries are so common, and why getting evaluated early is always smart.
Better Safe Than Sorry: When in Doubt, Get Checked
Even if you think you’re uninjured, visiting an Urgent Care or an ER or even being examined by your primary care doctor gives you peace of mind. It ensures that hidden injuries don’t go untreated and that your legal rights are preserved.
Hancock Injury Attorneys is Here to Help
At Hancock Injury Attorneys, we understand how delayed injuries affect your life and your case. If you’ve been in a Florida car accident, call us today for a free consultation at 813-915-1110. We’re here to help you get the care and compensation you deserve.