Should I go to the hospital / doctor after an accident?

In my 21 years of practice, that is probably the number one question I get asked from personal injury clients.
The short answer is yes…. But only If you are injured and need to go. If you are not injured , I cannot bring value to your case.
When insurance companies evaluate cases for settlement, they need objective evidence of the injury as well as the cause of the injury.
Some clients like to “tough it out” and try to heal at home or on their own. That may work for some, but by doing so you are risking further injury as well as undercutting the value of your case.
You can tell the insurance company that you are injured and that for example your back hurts, but without objective medical evidence, they will ignore those claims and not offer fair (or any) value to settle your case.  Additionally, going to a hospital soon after the injury also gives your claim more credibility. If you try to self-heal and don’t follow up and go to a hospital until 30 days or so later, you will have problems settling your case down the road. When time comes to settle the matter, you will need to explain to the insurance company why you waited 30 days to initiate treatment and they will question causality (that the accident caused these injuries) in the case.