Should I Call an Ambulance After a Kansas City Car Accident?

After being injured in a car accident, one of the first questions law enforcement or emergency medical technicians may ask you is if you need an ambulance. If you are severely injured, you will likely not be able to make this decision yourself, as law enforcement will call an ambulance to transport you to the hospital right away.

However, if you do not appear to have serious bodily injuries, you may be thinking that you would rather avoid the expensive ambulance ride costs. While this may seem like a good idea at the time, our firm, which was recently named Kansas City’s Favorite Law Firm, suggests taking a moment to consider your options.

Why would calling and riding in an ambulance to the hospital be a good idea?

If you are unconscious, covered in blood, or cannot make logical decisions regarding your health and wellbeing, you will most likely not be able to avoid riding in an ambulance after a car accident. However, if you look like you might have minor cuts and bruises, you may have a say in what happens. Even though you may be happy to have the option, it might be wise to still consider calling or riding in an ambulance to the hospital if you notice that you are suffering from one or more of the following symptoms:

• Broken or fractured bones
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Inability to see or hear (any hearing or vision loss)
• Excruciating headache
• Exposed bones
• Joint or muscle pain
• Inability to think clearly or feeling dazed and confused
• Feeling nauseous or vomiting
• Severe bleeding that will not stop
• Breathing problems

Regardless of whether or not you decide to ride in an ambulance, you should make it a priority to see a doctor after your car accident. This is essential for your health as well as your insurance claim.

When is calling or riding in an ambulance recommended?

Besides the symptoms mentioned above, there are a few other times that calling or deciding to ride in an ambulance is recommended. These include:

• You cannot drive yourself to the hospital: It is not uncommon for you to be in a lot of pain or to have severe enough injuries and bleeding that you cannot physically drive yourself to the hospital. However, even if you do not think that you have any physical issues or impairments, you could instead have mental/cognitive issues, such as lightheadedness, inability to think clearly, inability to focus or concentrate, and more. Therefore, if you have the slightest feeling or thought that you cannot drive yourself to the hospital, it is suggested that you do not take the chance. By taking the chance of driving yourself, you could end up in another accident if you become unconscious, make an error or mistake while in pain, or need to stop abruptly.
• You may decide to ask a friend or family member to drive you instead. However, if you need any type of medications, first aid, or monitoring on the way to the hospital, your family member or loved one will be unable to help you while they are driving. Therefore, you should allow an ambulance worker to drive and keep an eye on your condition as well as ensure that you arrive at the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.
• If you move, your injuries could become worse: If you have an injury such as a spinal cord injury, internal organ damage, or even a broken bone, the last thing you want to do is put yourself at risk of serious complications by moving or getting up. Ambulance emergency medical technicians are experienced and trained on dealing with these types of injuries and making sure that they are not made worse by moving. If you call an ambulance to drive you to the hospital, they will lift you carefully and place you onto a stretcher, ensuring that you are comfortable and cared for the entire way to the hospital.
• You think that you might die: You should never hesitate to call an ambulance if you think that you might die. Car accident victims typically feel like this when their injuries are traumatic and life-threatening. However, even if you simply feel like something is internally wrong with you, you should let the police know and agree to get into the ambulance as soon as it arrives at the scene. The ambulance workers will be available to give you CPR and anything else you might need during your ride to the hospital.
• There is heavy traffic, or the road is blocked/closed due to the accident: After a car accident, law enforcement may block or close the road, which could lead to heavy traffic. As a result, you may be unable to successfully drive yourself to the hospital, or it could take longer to get there. Ambulances are given permission to drive on blocked and closed roads as well as pass heavy traffic for emergencies. So, if you want to get to the hospital fast, your best option is likely to ride in an ambulance.

Advantages and disadvantages of taking an ambulance after a car crash in Kansas City, MO

There are many advantages and disadvantages to consider when thinking about calling or taking an ambulance to the hospital after a car crash. We will go over some of these advantages and disadvantages below.

Advantages:

• Ambulances are equipped with paramedics who know how to treat any symptoms and injuries.
• Ambulance drivers know the routes and ways to make sure that you get to the hospital in a quick manner.
• Riding in an ambulance after being in an accident can be much safer than choosing to drive yourself.
• You may have hidden injuries that you are unaware of, which paramedics can quickly treat and monitor in the ambulance.
• You will receive priority treatment and typically be transported to a room as soon as you arrive at the hospital.
• The ambulance drivers are aware of which hospital is less busy and where best to drop you off.
• You will have an easier time proving to insurance companies that you were severely injured in a car accident.

Disadvantages:

• Riding in an ambulance can be costly.
• The paramedics in the ambulance may be noisy and bother you during the ride as they want to ensure that your health and injuries are taken care of.
• An ambulance may lack space for your friends or family members to ride with you.
• You may have to wait for the ambulance to arrive at your accident scene, which can take some time.

If you suffer injuries in a car accident that was another person’s fault, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys is here to help you. Our car accident lawyers know and understand the laws surrounding these types of accidents and will do everything we can to obtain the best outcome possible for your case. We accept clients anytime at our Kansas City, Missouri office, and you are more than welcome to schedule an appointment at our other office locations in Lee’s Summit, Parkville, and St. Joseph (MO), Olathe, Kansas City, and Overland Park (KS). Call one of our offices or fill out our contact form to begin discussing your case with Kansas City’s Favorite Law Firm today.