Key Takeaways:
- Hidden injuries are common after a Colorado car accident. Adrenaline masks pain in the hours after a crash, and conditions like whiplash or traumatic brain injury may take days to show symptoms.
- Insurance companies use delayed treatment to deny your claim. If you don’t see a doctor immediately after a crash, adjusters may argue your injuries came from something else.
- Your medical records determine what you recover. Every dollar you receive for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering depends on medical evidence linking your injuries to the crash.
You walk away from a car accident feeling shaken but okay. So you decide to skip the ER and wait to see how things feel in the morning. It seems like the sensible thing to do, but not getting a prompt medical assessment can be a costly mistake.
Always seeing a doctor after a car accident is not just about your health. It is also about protecting your right to compensation if your injuries turn out to be more serious. Without medical records linking your injuries to the crash, even a legitimate claim falls apart.
Car Accident Injuries Can Take Days to Show Up
When your body goes through the shock of a crash, it releases adrenaline, designed to suppress pain and keep you functioning. This is why people walk away from a crash feeling no pain, convinced they haven’t suffered any injuries when they actually have a serious condition.
The problem is that this feeling can last for hours, sometimes longer, despite injuries. Whiplash is a good example. According to the National Library of Medicine, whiplash pain can take weeks to develop. What may start as mild neck stiffness after a rear-end collision can become debilitating pain and reduced range of motion days or weeks after the crash.
Concussions and soft tissue injuries to the back and shoulders follow the same pattern, with the full picture only emerging when the adrenaline has worn off and your body starts to settle.
What Injuries Are Commonly Missed After a Car Accident in Colorado?
Several serious conditions can go undetected in accident victims who don’t see a doctor immediately after a car crash:
- Whiplash and soft tissue injuries. The rapid back-and-forth motion of impact strains muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck. But these strains may not hurt right away and sometimes don’t even appear on initial scans.
- Concussion and traumatic brain injury. Following a head impact, you may experience headaches, light sensitivity, and mood changes. Traumatic brain injury symptoms can be easily overlooked or attributed to simply feeling “under the weather” after a car crash.
- Herniated discs. A disc pushed out of position by the force of an accident can push on nerves and cause radiating pain or weakness in the arms or legs, sometimes weeks after the crash.
- Internal bleeding. Abdominal pain and bruising that develop after a collision require immediate medical attention, as they could point to serious internal injuries. Internal injuries aren’t visible and can become life-threatening.
- PTSD and psychological injury. Anxiety, flashbacks, and sleep issues are legitimate injuries that are compensable under Colorado personal injury law, but they must be documented by a medical professional.
A doctor can identify all of these conditions early and begin treatment to aid a quick recovery. Most importantly, medical records are essential evidence tying your injuries to the accident. Without them, you won’t have a valid compensation claim.
Skipping the Doctor Can Cost You Your Colorado Car Accident Claim
The longer you wait, the easier it becomes for an insurance company to argue your injuries came from somewhere else, such as a pre-existing condition or even a fall at home. Insurance adjusters want to reduce or deny your claim, and finding treatment delays or gaps can help them to do just that.
Under Colorado’s comparative negligence statute, C.R.S. § 13-21-111, your damages can be reduced if you fail to act reasonably to avoid worsening your injuries. If you fail to seek treatment right away after a crash, the insurance company may argue that you made your injuries worse by waiting and try to reduce your compensation.
Medical records establish when you were hurt, how severely, and what treatment was required. Without them, even a strong car accident case becomes difficult to value and challenging to settle.
How Soon Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident in Colorado?
It’s best to see a doctor within 24 hours of your Colorado car accident to protect your health and legal rights. Go to the emergency room immediately if your symptoms are severe, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, or signs of internal injury. For injuries that feel moderate or are still developing, an urgent care clinic or your primary care physician can assess you and document your injuries.
If you have already waited longer than a few days, don’t assume it’s too late. Go and see a doctor now. A Denver personal injury attorney can help to explain a delay in medical treatment, but only if there is a medical record.
Why Denver Crash Victims Choose Manning Herington
Getting hurt in a Colorado car accident is painful and the aftermath is often overwhelming. That’s when you need an attorney who takes the burden off your shoulders and fights hard for what you need to get your life back on track again.
Manning Herington handles car accident claims across the Denver metro and throughout Colorado, from Aurora and Lakewood to Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins. We bring decades of combined personal injury experience to every case, and our results speak for themselves. Recent outcomes include a $1.75 million settlement for a rear-end collision and a $1.5 million settlement in a rollover accident case.
We work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Consultations are free and available at our Denver and Centennial offices, at your home, at the hospital, or by phone or video call. The time to file a lawsuit is limited, so contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and learn about your next best steps.
FAQs About Seeing a Doctor After a Car Accident in Colorado
What if I didn’t see a doctor right after my accident in Colorado?
A delay makes your claim much harder to prove, but it doesn’t automatically end it. The best thing you can do now is to see a doctor immediately. An experienced Denver car accident attorney can help establish the connection between the crash and your injuries, even if some time has passed.
Can I still file a Colorado car accident claim if my symptoms appeared days later?
Yes. Colorado courts recognize that conditions like whiplash and brain injuries often only surface after the initial adrenaline has worn off. Seek treatment promptly once symptoms appear, and make sure that your medical records connect your injuries to the accident.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim after a car accident in Colorado?
You generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, under Colorado’s statute of limitations (C.R.S. § 13-80-101). But don’t wait until that deadline is close. Evidence may have disappeared by then, and witnesses become harder to locate. Speak to a Denver car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a crash, especially if you suffered a significant injury.
