After a crash, many people wonder if they should go to the hospital after a car accident or assume stiffness and headaches will fade. In Virginia, this decision can directly affect both your recovery and your ability to pursue compensation. The Virginia DMV’s 2024 crash report documented more than 122,000 collisions, thousands of which resulted in injuries that required emergency care. Even low-impact accidents can cause concussions, whiplash, or internal injuries that only a doctor can diagnose.
Going to the hospital after a car accident ensures that hidden injuries are caught early and that your condition is linked to the crash in medical records. Our Virginia car accident lawyers explain why immediate medical care protects both your health and your case.
How Long Do You Have to Go to the Hospital After a Car Accident?
There is no legal deadline in Virginia for when you must seek treatment, but waiting too long can weaken your case. Medical experts and attorneys recommend seeking medical attention within 72 hours of a car accident. Ideally, you should go to the hospital the same day as the crash. A hospital visit immediately after the accident provides clear documentation that your injuries were directly caused by the collision.
Our attorneys regularly handle cases where victims delay seeking care after a car accident, but this delay often complicates your case resolution. For example, going to the hospital a week after a car accident may still support a claim, but insurers will scrutinize the gap in treatment and argue another event caused the injuries. Because Virginia applies contributory negligence, even small questions about timing can reduce or bar compensation. We work with medical experts to explain why delayed symptoms are common, helping clients overcome insurer objections.
For answers to your questions, call:
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What Happens When You Go to the Hospital After a Car Accident?
A hospital visit typically involves:
- Emergency evaluation for visible or life-threatening injuries
- Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans to identify hidden damage
- Blood work and monitoring for internal bleeding or organ trauma
- Creation of a medical record that directly ties your injuries to the accident
These records are crucial for showing how the accident caused the harm. Clients often want to know what happens when you go to the hospital after a car accident, and the answer is that these evaluations do far more than protect your health—they form the evidence needed to recover damages for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If You Wait Too Long to Seek Treatment
Some clients ask if I waited too long to go to the hospital after a car accident do I still have a case. The answer is yes, but the delay makes proving causation more difficult. Medical evidence is strongest when it is created immediately after the crash. If you wait days or weeks, insurers can claim the pain came from another incident or a preexisting issue.
Victims who wait too long to go to the hospital after a car accident often face:
- Lower settlement offers from insurers
- Increased disputes in court over whether the crash caused the injuries
- Longer recovery times due to untreated conditions
Even with these challenges, our attorneys build strong claims using medical testimony, expert opinions, and available hospital records to connect the injuries back to the accident.
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Minor Injuries Still Need Documentation
Many accident victims mistakenly assume they don’t need medical attention for seemingly minor injuries. Common questions include “Should I go to the hospital after a car accident?” or “Is it worth going to the hospital for minor whiplash for insurance purposes?” The answer is yes. Even slight neck pain or stiffness can indicate whiplash or spinal disc damage, and immediate medical documentation ensures your symptoms are properly recorded. Without a hospital visit, insurance companies often claim that your conditions weren’t serious or weren’t related to the crash.
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Can Someone Sue After a Car Accident If They Refuse to Go to the Hospital?
It is possible to pursue a claim even without an immediate hospital visit, but refusing care makes the case more difficult. Insurance adjusters frequently argue that if you did not go to the hospital after a car accident injury, then you were not truly harmed. This weakens your negotiating position and often results in reduced settlement offers.
The Legal Connection Between Hospital Visits and Your Claim
Hospital visits provide the medical records necessary to prove damages such as emergency treatment, ongoing care, lost wages, and pain and suffering. These records also help counter insurer arguments that symptoms appeared too late to be connected.
In Virginia, where contributory negligence means a victim can lose compensation if found even 1% at fault, going to the hospital after a car accident and preserving records is often the difference between a denied claim and a successful recovery.
Why Choosing the Right Legal Team Matters
Delays in treatment or disputes over timing are common defense strategies in Virginia car accident cases. Our team at Tronfeld West & Durrett has been serving Virginia families for more than 50 years, and we invite you to schedule a free consultation if you’ve been in an accident and need advice from a trusted lawyer.
We’re ready to support your case and help you answer all the questions necessary to move forward effectively.
FAQs About Going to the Hospital After a Car Accident
How long after a car accident can you go to the hospital?
You should go to the hospital the same day as the crash whenever possible. While you can still seek care days later, insurers may argue the injuries were unrelated if you delay treatment.
How long do you have to go to the hospital after a car accident?
There is no legal deadline in Virginia, but prompt medical care creates stronger evidence and protects both your health and your claim.
Do you have to go to the hospital after a car accident?
You are not legally required to, but hospital visits document injuries and prevent insurers from claiming your pain came from another cause.
Can someone sue after a car accident if they refuse to go to the hospital?
Yes, but without hospital records the case is harder to prove. Immediate medical documentation makes lawsuits much stronger.
What happens if you go to the hospital days after a car accident?
Doctors can still connect injuries to the crash, but insurers may challenge the timing. Delayed care is better than none and still provides useful evidence.
If I waited too long to go to the hospital after a car accident do I still have a case?
Yes, though it requires additional evidence. Our attorneys often use later medical evaluations and expert testimony to prove the accident caused the injuries.
What happens when you go to the hospital after a car accident?
Hospitals perform evaluations, imaging, and testing to detect injuries. They also create medical records that directly link your condition to the collision.
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