It seems difficult to believe, but a person involved in a car accident could be injured and not realize it right away. This is the number one reason why you should always seek a medical opinion after any car accident — even a minor fender bender. It is also a great idea to follow up with your health care provider within a few days of the accident just to see if any injury has started to manifest.
Following are some of most common car accident injuries that may take time to become apparent.
- Concussion or brain injury symptoms often take time to appear. These can include vision or hearing problems, difficulty thinking or remembering and even personality changes.
- Headaches can begin days after a car accident and may indicate a serious injury like a brain blood clot or severe concussion.
- Back pain due to damaged vertebrae, nerve injuries or torn ligaments can take several days to appear.
- Internal bleeding also takes time to become apparent in many cases, and it could be life threatening. Symptoms include abdominal swelling, fainting, dizziness, large purple bruising and pain in the abdomen.
- Whiplash affecting the neck and shoulder area can also have delayed symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the area.
If you have suffered injuries in a car crash that was the fault of another driver, your medical records will strengthen any civil legal effort that you make to acquire compensation for your injury. An Iowa-based personal injury attorney can give you additional details about how to seek this compensation to help you move forward.
Source: KTAR.News, “7 delayed injury symptoms after a car crash,” Dr. Alex Bigham, accessed April 19, 2018