ExecutiveChronicles | Don’t Let Your Guard Down! 5 Late-Appearing Car Accident Injuries to Watch Out For | Did you know that 20 to 50 million people annually get injured in car accidents around the world? This is a lot of people who have to deal with pain after a car accident and other effects.
Worst, sometimes these injuries do not show up until several days or even weeks after the accident, making it harder for victims to get prompt care. After all, they might feel nothing more than a bit shaken up right after their accidents.
There, knowing the types of car wreck injuries and car accident symptoms that don’t show up right away is crucial – both for seeking medical care and compensation for your injuries.
Read on, and we’ll show you five late-appearing car accident injuries to watch out for.
- Internal Bleeding
If you’ve noticed your stomach has suddenly started hurting some days since your car accident, it might be something more serious than something you ate or a virus you picked up.
Delayed abdominal pain after a car accident can actually be a sign of internal bleeding. This condition can ultimately cause serious effects like a coma, organ failure, or even death if you don’t get prompt treatment.
If you didn’t get punctured in the accident, you might not expect any internal bleeding, but simple impact can cause it.
- Back and Spine Injuries
Having back pain is one of the most common car accident symptoms, especially when you get rear-ended. But when this symptom comes on suddenly days after your accident, it can be a sign of something more serious than just a strain or rough hit.
This kind of delayed pain after a car accident can indicate you could have a spinal or ligament injury. Over time, such an injury may even lead to paralysis, so it’s crucial to seek help as soon as you notice this sign.
When your pain is accompanied by tingling or numbness in your limbs, it could be a sign of a nerve injury. While not all nerve damage can be cured, getting medical attention right away can help avoid more permanent damage.
- Whiplash
If you were in a rear-end car crash, you might feel neck pain right after the accident, but you might also feel fine until days or weeks later.
When this pain comes on and is accompanied by symptoms like neck and shoulder stiffness, it can indicate you have a condition named whiplash. Minor cases may be self-treatable, but you’ll want to see your doctor to get an x-ray to confirm the diagnosis and provide pain relief and exercises to help you recover.
- Head and Brain Injuries
If you start experiencing a headache, feel dizzy or seem confused some time after your accident, it may be a good idea to speak with a car accident lawyer because you might have a concussion or even a traumatic brain injury.
These delayed car accident side effects occur when you experience some impact to your head. Even though you may feel normal right after the accident, days or even weeks later you might experience trouble from bruising or bleeding on the brain.
Seek emergency care if you have head or brain symptoms since head injuries can be fatal.
- Emotional Disorders
Car wreck injuries can go beyond physical ailments to include emotional disorders like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression.
You might notice that you feel sad a lot, get extremely anxious driving, or even have flashback dreams of your accident. This is due to the trauma of what you experienced, and it might not happen right after the accident.
Speaking with a psychologist can help diagnose your condition and determine if your car accident was to blame. If so, you may be able to seek compensation for injuries.
Beware of These Common Late-Appearing Car Accident Injuries
If you’ve had an accident and are noticing any of these symptoms or injuries, it’s a good idea to first get checked out at a doctor’s office or hospital. This will provide a diagnosis and prompt treatment to keep you from feeling worse. You might also need to book a private MRI scan to gain direct access to a medically necessary scan and a fast result.
Then, you should consider working with a personal injury attorney. Having medical records documenting your symptoms after the accident will strengthen your claim, and you may get some monetary compensation for your late-appearing car accident injuries.
