In some cases, injuries from car, truck, motorcycle, and other motor vehicle accidents do not appear immediately. Seeking medical treatment, even if you do not immediately notice symptoms of injury, is crucial to protecting your health and recovering compensation for your losses. To learn more about your options after being hurt in an accident, reach out to the Law Offices of David E. Gordon today.
Soft Tissue Injuries
A soft tissue injury is an injury that occurs to the body parts outside of the bone, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Due to the force from car accidents, even small or slow ones, stress can be placed on these vulnerable parts of your body.
One of the most common soft tissue injuries is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the head is suddenly and forcefully thrown forward and back, causing an injury to the neck muscles.
Soft tissue injuries do not typically show up right away and are difficult to pick up in X-rays. This makes it more challenging to diagnose and document this type of harm. Therefore, seeking medical attention and getting ahead of symptoms such as pain, swelling, and lack of mobility is crucial.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
If you strike your head in a car accident, your brain can hit your skull with great force, causing a concussion or other traumatic brain injuries. Common symptoms of these catastrophic injuries can include:
- Disorientation
- Loss of consciousness
- Clouded thinking and an inability to concentrate
- Difficulty remembering new information
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Lack of energy
- Abnormal sleep patterns
If any of these symptoms are present, it is imperative that you seek medical attention. However, in some instances, symptoms may not show up immediately following an auto collision, or people may assume their symptoms are unrelated to the wreck. Seeking prompt care helps establish the connection with the accident.
Back Pain and Injuries
A collision can result in a back injury or strain. In severe instances, spinal cord damage and paralysis can occur. Symptoms include pain, reduced mobility, muscle spasms, and trouble walking or sitting. Numbness and tingling can result from severed nerves, nerve compression, or disc herniation in the back or neck. The adrenaline that surges after a wreck can mask many of the symptoms of these injuries. Getting the proper imaging and scans after an accident can help to identify potential injuries even if symptoms have not yet appeared.
Seeing a Doctor and Making a Claim
You should visit a doctor when you have been in an accident, even if you feel no symptoms or pain. Your physician can ensure you have no injuries or let you know how to best monitor symptoms.
Seeing a doctor after you have been in an accident ensures that medical treatment was documented before a claim was made. If you wait too long to see a doctor, the insurance adjuster will give you a hard time and could argue that you were not injured or that your symptoms are unrelated to the wreck.
Call to Discuss Car Accident Injuries with Our Team
Receive the compensation you deserve after an accident. When you are not sure what to do if your car accident injuries do not show up right away, speak to our team to assess your situation and guide you in the right direction. Call the Law Offices of David E. Gordon today.
