After a car accident, your injuries may not tell the whole story at your first medical appointment. Pain, swelling, and bruising can change quickly. Some injuries may also take hours or days to become noticeable.
That is why it can be helpful to show your doctor car accident injury photos from the collision and photos of your initial injuries.
Photos can give your doctor valuable visual information about what happened and how your body looked shortly after the accident. They may also help your doctor better understand the severity and progression of your injuries.
If you were recently involved in a collision, take photos when it is safe to do so. Keep them for your medical records and personal injury claim.
Why Photos Matter After a Car Accident
When you visit a doctor after a car accident, you will likely describe what happened and explain where you hurt. Your doctor will also perform an examination and may order diagnostic testing.
However, an injury can look very different several hours or days after a collision.
For example, you may have significant bruising shortly after an accident that begins to fade before your appointment. Swelling may also decrease. Visible cuts or abrasions may start healing.
Photos can preserve what those injuries looked like closer to the time of the collision.
Photos of the accident scene can also provide useful context. Damage to the vehicle, the position of the vehicles, and visible damage to other property may help communicate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Photos do not replace a medical examination. They can provide additional information for your healthcare provider to consider.
Show Your Doctor Your Initial Injuries
One of the most important things you can do after an accident is seek appropriate medical attention.
When you arrive at your appointment, consider showing the doctor photographs of your injuries from earlier that day or immediately after the collision.
You can explain when each photo was taken and what you were experiencing at the time.
For example, you might have photographs showing:
- Bruising that appeared shortly after the accident
- Swelling around an injured area
- Cuts or scrapes
- Redness or discoloration
- Visible marks from a seat belt
- Scratches or other visible injuries
- Changes in the appearance of an injury over time
Your doctor can evaluate your current condition while also seeing how the injury appeared closer to the time of the accident.
This information may be especially helpful when an injury changes quickly.
Take Photos at the Accident Scene
If you can safely document the accident scene, take photographs before the vehicles are moved when possible.
Your photos may include:
- Damage to your vehicle
- Damage to the other vehicle
- The position of the vehicles
- Debris on the roadway
- Skid marks
- Traffic signs and signals
- Road conditions
- Nearby intersections
- Property damage
- Visible hazards that may have contributed to the collision
Do not put yourself in danger to take photographs. If the scene is unsafe, move to a safe location and follow the instructions of law enforcement or emergency personnel.
You can also photograph your vehicle after it has been moved if the initial scene cannot be safely documented.
Photograph Your Injuries Over Time
Your injuries may change after a collision.
A bruise may become darker before it begins to fade. Swelling may increase or decrease. Scrapes may begin healing. Other symptoms may become more noticeable over the following days.
Consider taking photographs at different points during your recovery.
You do not need to take dozens of pictures every day. Focus on clearly documenting visible changes and keeping track of when each photograph was taken.
A simple record can help you remember the progression of an injury when speaking with your doctor.
Tell Your Doctor About Every Symptom
Photos are helpful, but they are only one part of communicating with your healthcare provider.
Be honest and specific about your symptoms.
Tell your doctor where you hurt and when you first noticed the pain. Explain whether your symptoms are getting better, getting worse or staying the same.
You should also mention symptoms that may not be visible in photographs, such as:
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Numbness or tingling
- Difficulty concentrating
- Limited movement
- Weakness
- Sleep difficulties
- Pain that interferes with normal activities
Do not minimize your symptoms because they seem manageable at first.
Your doctor needs accurate information to properly evaluate your condition and determine appropriate treatment.
Keep Your Photos Organized
After taking photographs, keep the original files whenever possible.
You may want to organize them by date and label them according to what they show. For example, you could create folders for the accident scene, vehicle damage, and injuries.
Avoid editing the photographs in a way that changes what they show.
Keeping the original photographs can make it easier to establish when they were taken and preserve the condition of the evidence.
You should also follow your healthcare provider’s instructions and keep copies of relevant medical records.
How Photos Can Help Document Your Injuries
A personal injury claim involves more than a description of what happened.
There may be police reports, medical records, photographs, vehicle damage, witness statements, and other evidence that helps establish what occurred.
Photographs can help connect different parts of that story.
A photograph of vehicle damage may show the physical impact of a collision. A photograph of an injury may document what was visible shortly afterward. Medical records can document your symptoms, examination findings, and treatment.
Together, this information may help provide a more complete picture of what you experienced.
Photos are not proof of the severity of every injury. They also cannot determine whether an accident caused a particular medical condition. Those questions require appropriate medical evaluation and other evidence.
Do Not Delay Medical Treatment
Taking photographs should never take priority over getting medical attention.
If you are seriously injured, seek emergency medical care. Otherwise, schedule an appropriate medical evaluation as soon as reasonably possible after a collision.
Some injuries may not be immediately obvious. A person may feel relatively fine after an accident and develop significant symptoms later.
Prompt medical evaluation gives your healthcare provider an opportunity to assess your condition and recommend appropriate treatment.
It also creates medical documentation of the symptoms you report and the care you receive.
How Fielding Law Can Help
After a collision, it can be difficult to know what information to preserve or what steps to take next. Your health should always come first, but documenting the accident and your injuries can also be important.
If you have photographs from the scene or photographs showing your initial injuries, keep them in a safe place. Share relevant injury photographs with your healthcare provider so they can consider them as part of your medical evaluation.
If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may also want to speak with a personal injury attorney about your situation.
At Fielding Law, we represent people who have suffered personal injuries because of negligence. Our team can help you understand your options and the types of evidence that may be relevant to your case.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact Fielding Law, APC to schedule a free consultation with a car accident attorney in Irvine today. We have two convenient locations in Irvine, California, and Phoenix, Arizona.
We proudly serve Orange County and its surrounding areas:
Fielding Law, APC – Irvine, CA Office
505 Technology Dr Ste 250
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 288-5484
Fielding Law, APC – Phoenix, AZ Office
2 N Central Ave Ste 1800
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(859) 578-4444
