A serious injury can be a traumatic thing to suffer, and if it’s serious enough it will quickly bring your way of life to a grinding halt. The aftermath of being injured can leave you feeling confused and nervous, worried it could happen again or that things could somehow get worse. No matter what though, if you have recently been injured, you’ll want to take steps to preserve your health and get back on your feet as quickly as possible.
Visit an Emergency Center Immediately
While most injuries heal on their own, there are some situations where you will need to immediately seek out emergency medical services as soon as you can. As a general rule, you should get medical attention if an injury is causing severe pain or impacting your daily life. It is also a good idea to head to your doctor or the emergency room if the injury occurred while you were driving or on another individual’s property.
Record Everything
Following a major injury, you want to be sure that you collect as much information as possible. Most emergency centers and hospitals record all patient data, but it is always a good idea to have your own copies of all of the paperwork. If you think that the injury is going to result in an insurance claim or legal case, then you need to spend a little bit of time writing down exactly what caused the injury as well. It’s best to do this as soon as it happens, so you don’t forget potentially important details.
Follow All of Your Doctor’s Instructions
One of the most common mistakes that patients make is not following the aftercare instructions when they leave a hospital or emergency room. Even if you are feeling much better after the accident, you must follow the doctor’s instructions if you want to avoid making things worse or causing long-term health problems. Your aftercare instructions might include regular visits to a medical specialist, the use of certain medications, an extended recovery period, or strengthening exercises that you can carry out on your own.
Speak With an Attorney
It is an unfortunate fact that some injuries result in complex lawsuits that can turn an individual’s life further upside down than the initial injury. If you aren’t being treated fairly by any outside parties, then you should immediately contact a personal injury lawyer. Your lawyer can carefully go over every detail of the situation and help you come up with a plan for receiving fair compensation. Hiring an experienced lawyer will be especially helpful if the injury happened on another person’s property or during an auto accident.
When it comes to your personal health, you should always err on the side of caution. Following your doctor’s instructions and seeking out whatever professional assistance you may need immediately after an accident can help prevent your problems from getting worse or making your life more stressful. The most important thing you can do when faced with any sort of injury is to make sure you’re taken care of and can recover properly. In addition, always listen to your doctor, as they’ll know best how to help you heal.
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, 
