Should I get an MRI after a Car Accident?
If you get injured in a vehicle accident, you should seek medical assistance as quickly as possible. Often, vehicle accident injuries are apparent right away, and individuals seek medical care at an emergency room. However, some car accident injuries, including brain injuries, may not show symptoms for quite some time after the initial incident.
How do you know whether or not you need an MRI?
The reality is that you don’t know, at least not right away. The decision of whether an MRI is appropriate rests with a doctor. Not every car accident victim will need an MRI, but those that do need to have the procedure completed as quickly as possible.
What Could an MRI Show?
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique is regularly used in medicine. This procedure uses a magnetic field along with computer-generated radio waves to craft an image of the internal tissues and organs inside the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
After a vehicle accident occurs, an MRI could uncover a range of injuries common with these incidents. Some of the main types of injuries noticeable through an MRI include:
- Neck or head injuries
- Spinal cord trauma
- Internal organ damage or bleeding
- Inflammation in the joints
- Damage to the cartilage
- Nerve compression
An MRI helps give doctors a more thorough understanding of the full scope of any injuries you sustain as a result of the incident. Doctors cannot move forward with a complete treatment plan unless they know all the injuries that need to be tended to.
How to Know if You Need an MRI After Your Collision
Car accident injury victims in Illinois should seek prompt medical treatment, even if the incident does not seem severe. Ultimately, the decision about whether or not you should receive an MRI after an Illinois vehicle accident falls to the doctor treating your injuries. It is in a crash victim’s best interest to get an MRI as quickly as possible after the incident if they need one, which is why we recommend that crash victims seek medical treatment immediately following the incident.
Often, the signs and symptoms of accident injuries are delayed or hidden, particularly in the first hours after a collision. However, these first hours are typically crucial for internal injuries. An MRI, if received promptly and at the recommendation of a physician, can help spot any potentially hidden injuries before they cause any additional damage.
Who Pays for an MRI After a Collision?
If the vehicle accident was caused by another driver’s careless or negligent actions in Illinois, coverage of your medical bills may come through an insurance claim against the other driver’s insurance carrier. In some cases, you and your attorney may have to file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court against another party to recover the compensation you are entitled to.
If you think you need an MRI after a vehicle accident but are worried about who will pay for it, we strongly encourage you to evaluate the risks associated with not receiving this procedure. Soon after a collision occurs, there will likely not be much clarity about who will pay for accident expenses, but do not let this keep you from receiving the medical care you need.