Top 10 Things to Know After an Auto Accident

1. You may be injured and not know it.

2. Injuries such as whiplash usually may not show any symptoms for hours, days or weeks later.

3. Medical professionals all agree that the first 72 hours after an accident are the most critical and a time treatment can be the most effective.

4. The majority of injuries from automobile accidents occur at speeds of 6-12 MPH. Your car might not show much damage, but your body might.

5. A soft-tissue injury is permanent, as scar tissue can form in your muscles leaving them less flexible and prone to re-injury in the future if you don't receive treatment.

6. If you act quickly you preserve your legal rights. An attorney listed things to do after an accident and #1 on his list was: Get prompt medical treatment; otherwise you may get benefits denied or limited.

7. In most cases treatment can cost you nothing out of pocket, even if it's your fault or you don't have any health insurance.

8. If you are not injured you can sleep better at night knowing you had an extensive exam and x-rays and found out everything was fine.

9. Statistics show the longer you wait for treatment after you are injured, the longer it takes to heal and requires more treatments.

10. If you are injured your injuries usually will not heal on their own.