Even if you only have slight pain after your car accident, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention as soon as you can. Doing so can help protect your legal rights and ensure you receive the treatment you need for a speedy recovery.
The next step is for you to choose between heading to the ER or urgent care after a car accident, but how do you decide? Keep reading to hear Rafi Law Firm’s input and how we can help. Contact us at (404) 800-9933 for more advice during your free consultation.
Factors to consider
When you’re deciding between the ER and urgent care, you must understand the differences between the two and consider the specifics of your accident. Here are a few factors to keep in mind when you decide what kind of doctor to go to.
Waiting time
On average, patients get seen faster at urgent care than they do at the emergency room. If you’re in a time crunch or need to be seen quickly because you’re not feeling well, heading to urgent care may be your best option.
The exception to this is if you are in critical condition. If you’re bleeding a lot or are visibly badly injured, you should go to the emergency room. If your life is in jeopardy, they’ll be able to prioritize getting you before a doctor.
Cost
The emergency room is almost always more expensive than urgent care. If you don’t have health insurance, call ahead to urgent care and see if they have self-pay options. Some urgent care locations will have a flat rate for patients without insurance.
If you do have health insurance, contact your insurance company to confirm your deductible and copay amounts. Most plans will have a lower copay for urgent care than for the ER.
Quality of care
While wait times and cost do come into play, ultimately, your decision should be made based on the best option for your health. You can expect quality care at urgent care, especially if it’s owned by and associated with a local hospital.
However, the doctors at a hospital are likely to be the best in your area. If you’re seriously injured or think you may need more advanced care like surgery, the emergency room might be the best option for you.
Ongoing care
There is a misconception that an emergency room will be more likely to give you more comprehensive care than urgent care because the ER is part of a hospital.
There are situations where this can be true. For instance, if you come to the ER after a car accident and need to be put in the intensive care unit or need surgery, they can help you.
However, some people think that an ER is more likely to get them started with ongoing care. In reality, an emergency room focuses on emergency treatments, meaning they want to get patients treated and discharged as quickly as possible to get beds opened up for new patients.
An emergency room doctor will most likely refer you to a primary care doctor for ongoing or follow-up care, just like an urgent care doctor will. The only difference is that an urgent care doctor is more likely to give you more comprehensive care before you leave since there’s not as much pressure to get patients in and out quickly.
If you need ongoing care for your injuries, you can expect to have to go to a primary care doctor or specialist after leaving urgent care or the ER.
Whichever you choose, Rafi Law Firm can help you pay the bill
For many people who are injured in car accidents, the primary concern is how they will afford the medical bills. When you work with our car accident attorney in Atlanta, we’ll take care of your case so that you can focus on taking care of your injuries.
If your accident and injuries were caused by the negligence of the other driver, you should not be responsible for the medical bills that result from those injuries. Mike Rafi will work hard to get you the maximum amount of compensation available so that you can pay for your medical care and other accident-related expenses.
Call (404) 800-9933 to schedule your free initial consultation with Rafi Law Firm. Don’t wait until the medical bills start to stack up and become a source of financial stress – contact us today so that we can get started on your case.
