If you and your child were involved in a minor accident, you might be wondering whether you should take your child to the ER to be evaluated for injuries. In general, it’s a good idea to visit the ER if you are concerned that your child may have been hurt in the accident.
However, if you decide not to take your child to the ER, you should consider visiting an urgent care clinic or following up with your family pediatrician as soon as possible after the crash. The unfortunate truth is that even fender benders can result in serious injuries, and not all injuries show symptoms right away.
If you choose not to visit the ER, be on the lookout for any symptoms that your child may have suffered an injury in the accident. Young kids sometimes have a hard time explaining how they feel and may not be able to accurately describe their condition to you.
Severe Injuries Can Still Occur in Minor Crashes
Many people assume that minor fender benders don’t commonly cause severe injuries. However, it’s always a good idea to be evaluated by a medical professional after any car accident, just in case. Some injuries such as whiplash don’t show symptoms for hours or days after a traumatic event.
Young kids are especially vulnerable to being injured in a minor accident because their bodies have not yet fully matured. Even if you feel fine and don’t believe that you are injured, you should make sure to have your child evaluated by an ER or urgent care clinic doctor in the direct aftermath of the accident.
How to Know if You Need to Take Your Kids to the ER
If paramedics arrive on the scene and recommend taking your child to the ER, you should follow their advice and allow medical personnel to transport your child to the hospital to be checked out. Emergency medics have extensive experience assessing car accident injuries, and if they believe that your child would benefit from going to the ER, you should follow their advice.
Never assume that your child was unharmed in an accident simply because the accident was minor or because they tell you that they feel fine. Even if your child doesn’t seem to be bleeding and appears to be acting normally, they could begin to show symptoms of an injury in the hours and days after the crash.
Many accident victims experience an adrenaline rush in the aftermath of an accident and may not realize that they are hurt for a period of time. To be on the safe side, you should take your child to the ER or to another treating physician to ensure that no complications arise from an untreated injury.
Reasons to Go to the ER
In the days after the accident, you should monitor your child for potential symptoms of an injury. If you notice changes in behavior or any of the signs listed below, you should visit the ER:
- The child is an infant – Because your infant cannot communicate to you that they are not feeling well, it is always advisable to take your infant to the ER if they’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident.
- Your child hits their head – If your child hit their head, there’s always a risk that they could have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries range from minor concussions, which often don’t require medical treatment, to life-threatening injuries including brain hemorrhages and hematomas. Any child who hits their head in a motor vehicle accident should be evaluated by a doctor right away.
- Your child complains of pain – If your child expresses that they are in pain or that they feel dizzy, you should take them to the ER for evaluation.
- Your child shows symptoms of an injury or changes in behavior – If you notice changes in your child’s normal behavior – such as a lack of appetite, personality changes, irritability, and mood swings – you should take prompt medical attention. If your child is vomiting, crying excessively, or continuing to fuss, that could be a sign that they were injured.
Car accidents can be traumatizing and stressful, and being uncertain as to whether your child suffered injuries can add to your anxiety. By visiting the ER, you can give yourself and your child peace of mind. If your child was injured, a physician will diagnose their injuries and recommend a course of treatment. They will also outline symptoms you should monitor for.
Even if it turns out that your child was not harmed, having it confirmed by a doctor can lift a huge weight off your shoulders.
Benefits of Taking Your Child to the ER After an Accident
In addition to protecting your child’s health and seeking peace of mind, taking your child to the ER after an accident can also benefit your insurance claim if you plan on filing one. Georgia is a fault state for auto insurance, meaning that if someone else caused the accident, you have a legal right to file a claim with their insurance company and pursue reimbursement for costs associated with the accident, including medical expenses.
However, the longer you wait to visit the ER, the more likely it is that the at-fault party’s insurance company will fight your claim. Remember, insurance companies are for-profit, and insurance claims adjusters are trained to protect the company’s bottom line. If they can find a reason to deny your claim, they’ll do it.
If you wait to visit the emergency room, the claim’s adjuster might argue that your child’s injury wasn’t that serious, or that your child was injured in a separate accident. By visiting the ER right away, you can demonstrate to the insurance company that you knew your child had been harmed. Having medical records from your ER visit can also help prove to the insurance company that your child was hurt in the accident.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you and your child were involved in a motor vehicle accident in Georgia, and the crash was caused by another person’s negligence, you can hold the at-fault party accountable by pursuing financial compensation for your losses. If you didn’t cause the accident, you deserve to be reimbursed for your child’s ER visit and any other expenses associated with treating their injuries. Contact a Duluth car accident lawyer at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers PC today for a free consultation to discuss your claim.
