A road accident can shock you to your core, whether a simple fender bender or a car crash. Adrenaline and shock can take over your emotions at that time and affect your reasoning skills. However, you must seek medical help, no matter how minor your injury may seem to you.
People tend to ignore choosing the right option between the emergency room and urgent care. Different injuries may require you to visit different kinds of facilities, and it is essential to understand the differences between them to make an informed choice. If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you can seek help from Philadelphia, PA personal injury attorneys.
Different treatments for different injuries
You may have heard people, especially insurance providers, telling you that you should immediately visit the emergency room in case of a road accident. However, that may not always be a wise choice.
The emergency room is named so for a reason. Patients with severe injuries requiring immediate help, such as severe burns, broken bones, uncontrollable bleeding, severe trauma, and breathing difficulties, are often taken to the emergency room.
On the other hand, urgent care is for people with lesser serious injuries. These may include minor cuts, fractures, whiplash, sprains or strains in the ankle, etc.
When is the right time to visit the emergency room?
If you have sustained injuries that are so severe to the point where you cannot even drive yourself to the hospital, you may need emergency treatment. You will likely require an ambulance to take you to the emergency room when you are in such a condition. One benefit of emergency treatment is that you will be able to receive medical care sooner than driving yourself to the hospital. Some more benefits include:
- Instant access to specialists in any medical field
- Ability to obtain prompt lab tests and results
- Ability to receive prompt imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRI, or CT
- Access to surgical facilities and surgeons if needed
A person needing emergency care may be experiencing the following symptoms.
- Seizures
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe burns
- Loss of sensation in the body
- Difficulty breathing
When should you go to urgent care?
Unlike emergency care, urgent care is staffed with doctors and nurses trained to diagnose and treat serious but not life-threatening conditions. Therefore, if you have minor to moderate injuries, you can visit urgent care. They will provide an evaluation to make sure your injuries are not fatal.
Seeking medical treatment after a road accident is one of the crucial steps to build your personal injury case. Your injuries may seem minor, but they may develop into more severe conditions before you know it. Therefore, prevention is better than cure.
