Injuries May Not Be Immediately Apparent After a Car Accident

 Posted on June 19, 2018 in Car Accidents

If you have ever been in a car accident, you know that the moments after impact can be confusing and overwhelming. After realizing they have just been in an accident, most people have several thoughts racing through their heads. One of these thoughts is usually about if anyone was hurt during the accident. However, it can be very difficult to assess your own injuries after an accident accurately.

Common Car Accident Injuries

One of the tricky things about car accident injuries is that some injuries are not outwardly visible. For example, a person may have experienced whiplash during a sudden stop but have no immediate signs of this internal neck injury. Whiplash, also called a neck sprain or strain, can cause severe pain, stiffness, headaches, numbness, and fatigue. However, these symptoms may take up to 24 hours to develop. Soft tissue damage, spinal injuries, concussions, broken bones, herniated discs, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain injuries can all be caused by a car accident.

Delaying Treatment Can Exacerbate Medical Issues

Imagine this scenario: a driver is rear-ended by another vehicle. The driver feels a pain in his back but ignores it. The driver who was hit is so consumed by exchanging insurance information and taking care of his vehicle that he does not get checked out by a medical professional. A few days later, the back pain has dramatically worsened, and the man finally goes to a doctor. The doctor explains that the man will need expensive back surgery to correct the problem. 

If the person in the scenario above had immediately sought help from a medical professional, he might have avoided worsening the injury. Furthermore, the injured man will have a much harder time getting financial compensation for his expensive medical bills and missed work than he would have if he had not delayed medical treatment.

Adrenaline Masks Pain After a Car Accident

The “fight or flight” hormone adrenaline is released into a person’s bloodstream when something dramatic or frightening, such as a car accident, occurs. In addition to raising the individual’s heart rate and increasing blood pressure, the hormone also has an anesthetic effect. Because of adrenaline, a person involved in a car crash may incorrectly assume they are not injured when they actually are.

Contact an Experienced Car Accident Injury Lawyer for Help

If you are hurt due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your damages. To schedule your cost-free initial consultation with Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law, call 815-215-7561 today and speak with a skilled Winnebago County personal injury attorney.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whiplash/symptoms-causes/syc-20378921

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/dailydose/12/03/stress.block.pain/index.html