Should I Go to Urgent Care or Emergency Room after a Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle accidents pose a serious risk of injury, so you must get medical attention right away if you’ve been hurt while riding a motorcycle. These incidents are much more dangerous than a regular car accident, since you are completely exposed when you are riding on a motorcycle. Even if you’re wearing a helmet, the impact of your body hitting the ground or another vehicle is extremely dangerous. Aside from your head, your limbs, knees, neck, and spinal cord are at serious risk of damage during a motorcycle accident. These injuries can result in disability – even death – if left untreated, so please get to a medical center if you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident.

But many people are confused about their treatment options and wonder, “Should I go to urgent care or ER if I was injured in a motorcycle accident?”

It’s ultimately your choice which facility you go to, but there are important reasons for choosing one over the other. We will go over these reasons today, along with other steps you should take if you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident.

For more information on motorcycle accidents, including your right to compensation as an injury victim, contact the attorneys of Normandie Law Firm. If another party was responsible for your accident, you may have ground to sue them for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other qualifying  damages. But you must act right away to ensure that you are compensated for these losses.

The Difference between Urgent Care and Emergency Rooms
Emergency rooms are designed to treat life-threatening injuries, and are open 24/7, regardless of holidays or weather conditions. That means you can go to an ER any time of the day and seek treatment from a wide range of qualified specialists. Emergency rooms also have high quality diagnostic tools and treatments, including anesthesia, operating rooms, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds.

Urgent care, on the other hand, is best for the treatment of non-life threatening injuries. These centers are usually open till around 8 or 9 PM and offer weekend hours, unlike private practices. They’re a good choice when it’s late in the day and your primary doctor is no longer available. However, urgent care centers are not as well equipped as ERs, nor are they open 24/7.

Because of their availability, many patients go to the ER even if they’re not dealing with severe symptoms. However, they find themselves waiting a long time to see a doctor, since ERs prioritize the most life-threatening injuries first. That brings up the question: what counts as a life-threatening injury in a motorcycle accident?

Life Threatening Injuries from a Motorcycle Accident
Here are some of the most common injuries that require immediate attention following a motorcycle accident.

• Head trauma
• Neck or spine injury
• Profuse bleeding / coughing up blood
• Deep lacerations (exposing ligaments, joints, or bones).
• Puncture wounds from metal / rusty objects
• Broken bones protruding through the skin
• Broken nose
• Hip injury
• Loss of function in the limbs
• Severe pain in the knees
• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Feeling dazed and confused / difficulty thinking clearly
• Loss of consciousness (even if it’s for a short period)

You may be surprised by some of the symptoms on this list, like broken nose and hip injury. These conditions can cause permanent health problems, like breathing difficulty and paralysis, which is why they’re considered medical emergencies. Blurred vision, ringing in the ears, and feeling dazed are red flags of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can result in fatality if left untreated.

If you experience any of the following conditions, call 911 or have someone make the call for you. It’s best to avoid moving, which can worsen your injury and create other health complications.

Non-Life Threatening Injuries from a Motorcycle Accident
If your injuries from a motorcycle accident seem minor, you can go to an urgent care center instead of the ER. Some examples of minor injuries are:

• Superficial cuts and scrapes
• Broken bones not protruding through the skin
• Soft tissue injury (torn ligaments, tendons, or muscles)
• Minor knee pain (for ex., only hurts when you walk on it)
• Bruises
• Ankle pain (sprain or strain)
• Hand strain / sprain
• Back pain without injury to the neck or spinal cord

You may be tempted to avoid going to the hospital at all for some of these injuries. However, medical care is essential to prevent such damages from getting worse. For example, minor knee injuries can easily worsen over time and result in long-term or permanent disability. Regardless of your symptoms, make sure to see a doctor as soon as you can and keep all medical records in a safe place. Then, give us a call and learn about your available legal options.

Wait Times and Costs of ER versus Urgent Care
Frankly, most people are aware of what counts as “life threatening” when it comes injuries. And yet, many victims with severe injuries choose urgent care facilities over ERs. Why is that, you ask? One major advantage of urgent care centers is shorter wait times – about 30 minutes on average, compared to the several hours you could end up waiting in an emergency room. Urgent care visits are also around half the cost of the average ER visit. This is an important factor, considering emergency room visits can cost $1,000 or more, and may not be covered by your insurance plan.

However, urgent care centers are not a great choice when you have serious injuries. As we mentioned before, emergency rooms are better equipped with medical tools and specialists compared to an urgent care facility. They can perform lifesaving surgeries and keep you overnight, which are crucial services for injuries like head trauma and spinal cord damage. So if you’re dealing with severe symptoms, head to the ER and make sure to put your health above everything else.

Once you’re stable enough, contact our office and speak with one of our motorcycle injury lawsuit attorneys. Taking action right away on a compensation claim is essential to covering your expenses and making sure you can pay for treatments in the future.

Medical Evidence and Your Right to Compensation
Medical attention is the key to recovering from your accident with as little complications as possible. But it’s also the most important element in a claim for injury compensation.

A doctor’s medical report and hospital bills are the most concrete evidence of your injuries, and the sooner you obtain them, the better. If you wait to seek medical attention, insurance companies can use that against you by saying your damages aren’t as serious as you claim. They can also argue that your injuries were caused by something other than the accident. We’ve seen many cases of insurers using these excuses to deny claims or make settlements offer that are far below what the victim deserves.

Additionally, medical records are essential in calculating your other losses, like lost wages from missed time at work or loss of future wages if you’re permanently disabled. You can also ask for pain and suffering, which is compensation for the mental / emotional trauma associated with your accident. Your medical assessments right after the accident is the most critical factor in determining these amounts.

To learn more about what you can recover in a motorcycle accident lawsuit, speak with the lawyers of Normandie Law Firm.

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Steps to Take after a Motorcycle Accident
Going to an ER or urgent care center is the most important step you can take following a motorcycle accident. But there are some other things you’ll need to do in order to file an injury claim against the responsible parties. These steps include:

• Call 911 or the police, or have someone else do it for you. It’s crucial to establish a record of the accident and tell your side of the story right away. The resulting police report will provide you with the other party’s insurance information, which you will need in order to file an injury claim.

• Be thorough when speaking to the police and medical personnel about your symptoms, even if they seem insignificant. This will ensure that you receive the best treatment possible, while documenting the full extent of your injuries.

• Speak to a lawyer right away to learn about your rights as a motorcycle injury victim. In particular, you’ll want to discuss what you should say when you file an injury claim with the other party’s insurance company. Certain statements can be used against you to minimize your injuries or invalidate your claim, so it’s essential that you have an attorney on your side.

• Refer all paperwork to your attorney, and never sign anything unless they review it first. Also, never accept a settlement offer without running it by your attorney. Remember – insurance companies want to pay you as little as they can get away with. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will calculate a fair amount of compensation and take the steps to negotiate a favorable settlement.

There may be other actions you should take depending on the circumstances of your accident. Our lawyers can advise you in this area and make sure that your rights are fully protected.

Contact Normandie Law Firm
A motorcycle accident has devastating consequences that can affect you for many years to come. Ensuring the best recovery and moving on with your life requires monetary compensation. However, most victims struggle to get justice from the responsible parties, which is where Normandie Law Firm can be of help. Our lawyers have many years of experience fighting for motorcycle accident victims and bringing them the settlement they’re entitled to.

We know this is a confusing time in your life, but let us reassure you that there is no risk in coming into see us for a free consultation. With our Zero fee guarantee, you will never pay upfront for any of the work we do on your behalf. We only get paid once we settle your claim, and if we lose your case, you owe us nothing at all. If you’re ready to find out about your rights and legal options, please give us a call right away. We look forward to assisting you in your path to recovery.

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