If you've been injured in a car accident in Massachusetts, you may already know that going to the emergency room can mean a long wait – a very long wait. According to a recent Boston.com report, Massachusetts ranks No. 3 in the entire country for the longest average time patients spend in the emergency department. The average ER visit here runs 189 minutes – over three hours – before a patient is seen and discharged. Only Maryland and Delaware rank worse.
That's surprising for a state consistently celebrated for having some of the best hospitals in the nation like Mass General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Even at some of these flagship institutions, however, patients are waiting 12 to 24 hours – and sometimes longer – for care. And the problem is getting worse. The share of Massachusetts emergency department visits lasting 12 hours or more climbed from 6.6% in 2020 to nearly 10% in the first five months of 2024, according to the state's Health Policy Commission. For accident victims sitting in pain in a crowded waiting room, those aren't just statistics. They're a painful, frustrating reality.
Why You Must Still Seek Medical Attention After a Car Crash – No Matter What
Here's what I recommend to every accident victim after a crash: do not let long wait times talk you out of getting medical care. I understand the temptation. You feel sore but maybe not critically injured. The waiting room is packed. Hours are slipping by. It seems easier to go home and "see how you feel tomorrow." That decision could have a serious, negative impact on both your health and your legal injury case.
Many serious car accident injuries – including whiplash, soft tissue damage, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injuries – don’t announce themselves immediately. Adrenaline masks pain. Inflammation builds over hours or days. What feels like minor soreness tonight can be a significant injury by morning. Getting evaluated by a medical professional and the proper diagnostic tests are the only way to know for certain what your injuries are.
Consider Urgent Care as an Alternative
If your local emergency room has a multi-hour wait and you don't believe you have a life-threatening emergency, an urgent care center is a smart option. Urgent care facilities are often equipped to evaluate and document car accident injuries — including soft tissue injuries, neck and back pain, sprains, and more — and they typically have far shorter wait times than hospital emergency departments.
The most important thing, whether you go to the ER or urgent care, is that you go the same day as your accident, that you tell the medical staff you were in a car accident, and that you describe every symptom and area of pain you're experiencing — even if it seems minor. That documentation is critical.
How Auto Insurance Companies Use Delayed Care Against You
Insurance companies are businesses. Their goal is to collection insurance premiums as income and pay out as little as possible on every claim, and they are very good at finding reasons to minimize your injuries and undervalue your case. Some of their most effective tactics are pointing to delays and gaps in medical treatment.
If you don't seek care immediately after your accident, the insurance adjuster will argue that your injuries couldn't have been that serious – after all, you didn't go to the doctor. If you wait days or weeks, they'll argue your pain was caused by something else that happened after the crash. These arguments aren't always fair, but they work when accident victims don't have documentation to counter them.
The moment you walk into an ER or urgent care center and say "I was in a car accident," you create a medical record that connects your injuries to the crash. That record becomes the foundation of your claim. Without it, you're fighting an uphill battle.
A Massachusetts Car Accident Lawyer Who Fights for You
Framingham car accident attorney, Chuck Pappas has dedicated his legal career to representing injured victims across Massachusetts and holding insurance companies accountable. He understands how carriers evaluate claims, the delay and denial tactics they employ to minimize payouts, and the pressure they place on injured people to settle for less than they deserve. With that insight, Attorney Pappas builds strategically prepared, evidence-driven cases designed to counter those tactics and position his clients for maximum compensation.
What sets Attorney Pappas' practice apart is a commitment to communication and results. When you work with Chuck, you won't be shuffled off to a paralegal or left wondering what's happening with your case. You get direct access, honest answers, and an attorney who is genuinely focused on getting you the best possible outcome.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, be sure to take two steps right away: get medical attention today and then give Attorney Pappas a call. He offers free case evaluations, and can help you understand your rights and what your claim may be worth. You don't have to navigate this alone — and you shouldn't have to accept whatever the insurance company offers.
Contact Chuck Pappas today by calling (508) 879-3500 or contact him online for a free consultation. Don't let long ER waits, insurance company pressure, or uncertainty about your options stand between you and the compensation you deserve.
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