In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, your adrenaline levels surge as your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. This rush of adrenaline often masks injuries, preventing you from feeling symptoms until days or even weeks later. Some of the most common delayed injuries include:
Whiplash
Whiplash refers to soft tissue injuries in the neck and back resulting from the sudden back-and-forth movement that occurs during a collision. You might walk away from an accident thinking you escaped unharmed, only to wake up the next day with debilitating neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and other issues. Whiplash can lead to chronic pain if left untreated.
Concussions
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Concussions frequently show no symptoms until hours or days post-accident. Common delayed concussion symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Memory issues
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood changes
- Sleeping problems
- Feeling in a fog
Seeking prompt medical care is crucial, as second-impact syndrome can have fatal consequences if a person suffers another head injury before fully recovering.
Herniated Discs
Spinal discs act as cushions between the vertebrae. During accidents, the sudden impact can cause discs to rupture or herniate. While you might experience back soreness immediately after the crash, more severe symptoms like nerve pain, muscle weakness, and numbness often appear over the next few days as inflammation sets in. Left untreated, herniated discs can cause permanent nerve damage and disability.
Torn Ligaments and Tendons
Ligaments connect bones together at joints, while tendons attach muscles to bones. Both ligaments and tendons are vulnerable to tears and strains during accidents when the body is violently shaken and twisted. Like herniated discs, damaged ligaments and tendons become increasingly swollen and painful in the days and weeks post-accident. Proper medical care can prevent torn ligaments and tendons from healing improperly.
Internal Bleeding/Organ Damage
While external cuts and bruises may be apparent straight after an accident, internal bleeding into spaces between organs or into organs themselves is harder to detect. Symptoms like abdominal pain, dizziness, chest pain, changes in heart rate, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and excessive thirst only arise over time as blood loss occurs. Promptly seeking emergency care for suspected internal bleeding can prevent serious complications like organ failure and even death.
Psychological Trauma
Experiencing a car accident can be a psychologically traumatic event for many people. Reactions frequently get worse over the days following the initial incident as the brain processes what occurred. Common emotional and psychological effects include anxiety, guilt, panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, difficulty focusing, fear of driving, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Speaking with a mental health professional can help manage psychological trauma before it takes over your life.
Why Immediate and Follow-Up Medical Care Is Important
With delayed-onset injuries so prevalent after accidents, getting promptly checked at the hospital even if you’re not exhibiting any apparent symptoms is key. Doctors can identify and begin treating issues early before they worsen or turn chronic.
Certain medications like steroids and muscle relaxers work best when taken as close to the time of injury as possible to control inflammation and pain more effectively. Proper early care also ensures injuries heal correctly to preserve mobility and prevent reinjury.
Make sure to closely monitor yourself over the next few weeks and follow up with medical providers if any pain or symptoms emerge. Whiplash and concussions, for example, often have symptoms arise three to five days post-accident. Having issues documented and addressed sooner improves outcomes. Don't try to tough it out and wait to seek treatment.
Consult An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Trying to handle delayed accident injuries on your own can be challenging. An experienced personal injury law firm like Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. understands these complexities firsthand from helping past clients. They can secure medical documentation and prove causation for symptoms arising post-accident to build a case for fair compensation of all crash-related damages.
This covers both immediate and delayed medical bills, lost wages from missing work, loss of future income potential, pain and suffering, vehicle repairs or total losses, and other costs. Especially with late-onset symptoms, having legal guidance proves essential.
