Being in a car accident can be a life-changing experience that leads to injury, expenses, and traumatic memories. For some, this can cause a person to avoid seeking care for their car crash injuries from a qualified car accident doctor, even if that doctor can help restore them to health and well-being. The reasons someone might avoid seeing a car accident doctor are many and complicated, but they all have one thing in common, and that is fear. Fear of cost, losing a job, being harmed further, or hearing bad news can all be scary. However, once that fear is overcome, it can lead to a dramatic improvement in the outcomes after a car accident to see a doctor who specializes in the care of those with car crash injuries.
Fear of Expenses
Healthcare costs can be staggering and are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States. The average economic expense, including medical costs and lost wages, for every car accident ranges from $12,800 to $101,000, depending on the severity of the injuries. For many, these costs of car crash injuries cannot be easily absorbed and could lead to someone avoiding additional expenditures. While this makes sense on the surface, it has long-term consequences that can cost even more. Not seeking care promptly and from an expert can result in poor outcomes that affect quality of life, long-term functioning, and the ability to earn. Research has shown that reductions in limitations in the workplace due to car accident injuries are affected by when and what doctors are seen after an accident. Car accident doctors are specialists who understand how to address these injuries so that you can return to work and your life as soon as possible.
One additional expense that can affect the ability to seek care after a car accident is transportation. If your car is damaged beyond repair, then chances are you don’t have a ready backup to drive to appointments. This lack of transportation can be a major factor in avoiding care since alternatives like ride-sharing services and taxis are expensive. Fortunately, solutions exist. Both Uber and Lyft offer free or discounted services to help get patients to doctor’s appointments. Public transportation may have options available for those needing to use assistive devices. AICA College Park is one of multiple locations AICA offers to make it easier to reach our services in your own community.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after up to 33% of car accidents. It can lead to long-term problems coping and impairs quality of life substantially. Irritability or a sense of numbness, intrusive thoughts and bad dreams, disturbed sleep, and excessive sleepiness are all symptoms of PTSD following a car accident. For some, though, PTSD will manifest as avoidance of anything to do with the car accident, and that can even include seeking medical care. Requiring emergency medical care or an intensive care unit admission can increase the risk of PTSD and may result in medical PTSD. A car accident doctor can refer you to the right mental health professionals to prevent PTSD from becoming chronic and leading to poor outcomes in the long term.
Fear of How Bad the Injury May Be
We all know the adage “no news is good news.” For some, this can mean that not seeking care and learning what is wrong means nothing is really wrong. This is a form of avoidance behavior and is often a result of trauma due to the car accident rather than a desire to be contrary. It can be very scary to face the unknown. But if one has experienced a car accident and car crash injuries, it is imperative to seek expert care from qualified providers as soon as possible to guarantee there aren’t more serious injuries and to treat any that do exist to prevent long-term complications. Seeking care promptly can be the difference between life and death in some cases, but definitely between regaining full functionality and preventing disability in many others. Instead, think, “the early bird gets the worm.” The person who seeks care promptly gets better faster.
Fear of Losing a Job or Using Time Off
Few workers have the luxury of extended time off from work to pursue medical appointments during the workday. In fact, workers in the United States only have an average of seven days off of paid leave per year for the majority of their working careers. Unfortunately, this lack of paid time off for illnesses and injury often results in workers skipping care they may desperately need, even after experiencing a car accident. The end result can be catastrophic, with increased usage of the pricey emergency department instead of the kind of expert outpatient care offered by car accident doctors. This expense can add up quickly for someone who may also find themselves unable to work if injuries do not improve.
A worker may also fear that they will lose their job if they use their sick time or take unpaid leave for appointments. Up to 10% of respondents in one study said they had lost a job due to their use of sick leave or unpaid time off to deal with an illness or injury. While there are no federal laws requiring sick leave for workers at this time, some companies are required to offer job protection under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA can provide up to 12 weeks for you or a family member to recover from an illness or injury and still have the same job to return to when finished. However, not all employers are required to offer FMLA, and eligibility is dependent upon how long one has been at a job or how many hours have been worked in a 12-month period. The issue of a lack of leave or willingness to use it can lead to long-term consequences like increased disability and reduced income overall if injuries are not addressed correctly and promptly.
Fear of Stigma
A car accident doctor is a doctor who has specialized training or experience in treating those who have been in a car accident and suffered injuries as a result. Social perception may sometimes be of a doctor who is predatory and chasing ambulances alongside an avaricious lawyer, but nothing could be further from the truth. It takes many years of education in medical school to become a doctor, then many more to train in orthopedics or neurology so that they can provide the best care possible to their patients. It is only after an undergraduate degree, a doctoral degree, a residency, and a fellowship, that a doctor is fully prepared to care for patients in their specialty. That is often as much as 16 years of preparation to be the best doctor they can be.
Still, for some, there is a stigma attached to seeing someone who specializes in caring for those with car crash injuries, and that stigma can only be changed by addressing it head-on. Patients should see the most qualified physician they can to care for their injuries to get competent and compassionate care. Ultimately, how someone else perceives your choice is less important than whether or not your care is high quality. The doctors at AICA College Park are experts in their fields who can help you recover faster and with better outcomes.
Fear of Doctors or Hospitals
Iatrophobia is a fear of doctors that can lead patients to avoid seeking care even when seriously ill or injured. Nosocomephobia is a fear of hospitals. For many, prior experiences within healthcare settings, whether for themselves or another, can lead to a phobia of those same situations in the future. Similar to how post-traumatic stress disorder develops, phobias are related to an event that leads to an unwanted psychological response. That response can have somatic, i.e., physical symptoms, like a high heart rate and sweating when experiencing that stressor again. Therapy can help reduce both psychological and physical symptoms of phobias. Being able to seek care when you need it could save your life and prevent disability in the long run.
Regardless of the reason why, a delay in appropriate care for car accident injuries can take a toll physically, emotionally, and financially. Promptly reaching out to a car accident doctor to care for your injuries can help you recover faster, reduce economic losses, and prevent complications that impact your quality of life. The doctors at AICA College Park are available to help you heal and recover, so contact us now to make an appointment.