Should You Take an Ambulance After an Accident?

Jan 15,2018

When a car accident occurs, oftentimes an ambulance will be sent to the scene. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team will offer to assess everyone involved in the accident. If you have been involved in a crash, should you opt to be assessed for injuries?

It might seem more convenient to decline a medical assessment if you are not experiencing pain or obvious injuries. However, doing so can actually cause problems for you down the line.

Symptoms Can Be Delayed

The reality is that immediately after an accident, you might not notice any pain or symptoms from an injury. A car accident can cause a strong spike in adrenaline, triggering your body’s flight or fight response. This response can mask symptoms of your injury. Additionally, some symptoms can take several days to even manifest, such as strains and sprains.

Because of the possibility of delayed onset symptoms, it is wise to be checked out at the scene if paramedics are there. If you have to file a personal injury claim, proof of a medical assessment at the scene can be helpful to your case. Contrastly, declining assistance from the paramedics at the scene could give the insurance company reason to believe your injuries are not that serious.

What About the Ambulance Ride?

If the EMTs determine that you should go to the hospital for treatment, should you ride in the ambulance? Because an ambulance ride is a significant expense, accident victims sometimes opt out of the ride. They figure it will be cheaper to drive themselves to the hospital, particularly if their injuries do not seem severe. Again, declining the ambulance ride if you have been injured can affect your personal injury claim later on. The insurance company can claim that your injuries are not severe since you were able to drive immediately afterward.

Moreover, driving yourself to the hospital after you have been injured can be dangerous. Symptoms like bleeding, difficulty breathing or head injuries can worsen on your way to the hospital. If you are in an ambulance and this happens, the EMTs can provide medical assistance. If you drive yourself, you will be on your own. Additionally, the EMTs can use emergency sirens to help get you to the hospital more quickly.

“When you have been injured in an accident, it is always best to err on the side of caution and accept help from the emergency medical personnel,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, and Yucca Valley and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.