Is it Better to Go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room After a Car Accident?
The aftermath of a personal injury can be chaotic and stressful for victims. A common question victims face is whether it is better to go to an urgent care center or to the emergency room after a car accident.
There are several factors car accident victims must consider when determining if it is better to go to an urgent care clinic or to the emergency room after a car accident. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, you should visit the emergency room. However, you should consider going to an urgent care facility under circumstances that are not life-threatening. There are several potential benefits of going to an urgent care center.
If you were injured because of a car accident, get help navigating the complicated road to recovery. Contact our experienced Boston car accident lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.
How to Choose Between an Urgent Care Center or an Emergency Room After Suffering a Car Accident Injury
Choosing between an urgent care center or an emergency room will depend on the circumstances surrounding your car accident injury. If you suffered a serious injury that produces life-threatening symptoms, you should call 911 or visit the emergency room. However, victims who experience less severe harm should consider going to an urgent care center. The following are factors to consider when weighing the two options for medical treatment:
Wait Times
People with life-threatening injuries that require immediate care will be treated promptly at emergency rooms. An emergency room acts as a form of triage facility, where degrees of urgency are assigned to wounded patients. Patients with more pressing issues will be seen more quickly. However, patients with painful injuries that may not be life-threatening, like broken bones, may have to wait a long time before being tended to at an emergency room.
Urgent care facilities do not triage patients. Rather, patients at urgent care facilities will typically be seen in the order that they came in. Furthermore, urgent care centers are typically very capable at treating patients with less severe injuries quickly and effectively. Many urgent care centers are able to have patients in and out the door in under an hour. Our Beverly car accident lawyers can offer help when choosing an urgent care center near you.
Cost
When choosing between an urgent care center or an emergency room, the cost of treatment is another factor considered by many car accident victims. Typically, treatment administered at an urgent care center is less expensive than treatment received at an emergency room. However, if your crash was caused by another driver, our car accident lawyers may help you recover financial compensation for all medical expenses related to your injuries. Therefore, if you suffered life-threatening harm, you should not let the cost of treatment deter you from seeking treatment at the emergency room after a car accident.
Types of Injuries that Can Be Treated
Additionally, you should consider the types of injuries that can be treated when choosing between an urgent care center or an emergency room after suffering a car accident injury. Emergency rooms are capable of handling almost any type of injury. Many times, emergency rooms provide treatment from some of the best doctors in a particular region.
Urgent care centers offer high-quality treatment. However, there are some injuries that physicians at urgent care centers may be incapable of treating. Urgent care centers are not always equipped with the same tools and equipment as emergency rooms. Crash victims can contact our Salem car accident lawyers for help assessing whether their injuries can be treated at an urgent care center.
Type of Treatment Received
Lastly, car accident victims should consider the type of treatment they are going to receive when choosing between an urgent care center and an emergency room. Doctors in emergency rooms are usually not concerned with long-term care. Rather, they are focused on fixing immediate problems that constitute medical emergencies. Physicians in emergency rooms may refer patients to primary care doctors for treatment if their injuries are not life-threatening.
Urgent care centers may be under less pressure to clear up space for incoming emergency patients. Accordingly, physicians at urgent care centers may be more likely to offer comprehensive care before sending you on your way. Our Quincy car accident lawyers can provide assistance when comparing the treatment you may receive at an urgent care center to the treatment that might be offered at an emergency room.
When to Go to the Emergency Room After a Car Accident
Victims who sustained serious, life-threatening injuries should visit the emergency room after their car accidents. There are many types of injuries that may constitute medical emergencies. The following are examples of injuries that require treatment at an emergency room:
- Severe head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Injuries that cause heart attack symptoms
- Injuries that cause a loss of consciousness
- Injuries that cause severe bleeding
- Venomous animal bites
- Broken bones
If you suffered any of the aforementioned injuries because of a car accident, you should dial 911 and seek treatment at an emergency room. Afterward, our Cambridge car accident lawyers can help pursue compensation for medical expenses related to your injuries.
When to Go to an Urgent Care Center After a Car Accident
Victims who suffer injuries that are not life-threatening should seek treatment at an urgent care center. Many injuries that are not considered medical emergencies can still be very painful for victims. By seeking treatment at an urgent care center, victims with such injuries can be treated more quickly. The following are examples of injuries that should be treated at an urgent care center:
- Minor burn injuries
- Non-venomous animal bites
- Lacerations that require stitches
- Headaches
- Soft tissue injuries
If you suffered one of these injuries, you should seek prompt medical treatment at an urgent care center.
If You Were Injured Because of a Car Accident, Our Lawyers Can Help
If you were injured because of a car accident, seek support from our experienced Malden car accident lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.