Accidents and Injuries Amidst Coronavirus COVID-19 – Hospital Protocol
Accident Victims are Not Being Fully Evaluated at Hospitals … What You Can Do
Accidents and Injuries Amidst Coronavirus COVID-19: Our clients have been informing us that many hospitals are not fully evaluating and treating them after accidents because emergency rooms are overwhelmed as a result of COVID-19. If you are critically injured, you should be evaluated at the hospital. However, if you are not critically injured, you may be sent home without much of an evaluation. This post is an attempt to provide non-critically injured accident victims with some guidance after an accident.
First, all accident victims or injured persons after a car accident or slip and fall should attempt to go to the emergency room. It is important to be properly checked out. You may have an underlying injury that you cannot see, such as an internal injury. If you are not fully evaluated because the emergency room is overwhelmed (and you are not critically injured), you should at least come home with discharge papers regarding your accident and possible injuries. These discharge papers should have important post care instructions for you to follow and “at-home” treat your injuries as well as follow up physicians, such as orthopedic doctors. Follow these instructions until you can get to another physician.
Second, take notes, keep a journal and take photographs of all of your injuries. It is critical to keep a record of your injuries, especially because you may not have complete hospital evaluation records. Photos will serve to memorialize the extent of the physical injury and are important for proof after the fact. Additionally, notes and a journal will help to document your physical limitations after an accident.
Lastly, if you injured your neck and/or back in an accident, you can make an appointment with a chiropractic doctor or physical therapy facility for evaluation and treatment of your injuries. These medical professionals can also assist with injuries to your legs, arms, etc. They can send you for diagnostic testing that will diagnose the extent of your injury with more certainty, for example an MRI can help diagnose a herniated disc just like an x-ray can diagnose a broken bone. If you are evaluated by one of these types of medical professionals, then you will avoid clogging the hospital system and you will be more fully evaluated . . . ensuring a better diagnosis and treatment plan, and reserving hospitals for critically injured patients.
Accidents and Injuries Amidst Coronavirus COVID-19 can be overlooked and undervalued. If you need assistance from an accident lawyer, call our office. Our attorneys will help to guide you … this a free consultation. We do not charge for consultations, and in fact, we do not charge you anything unless we win your case.
Rizio, Hamilton & Kane, P.C. (855) 822-6783 toll free or local (215) 567-1900
