What Are the Delayed Implications of a Car Accident Injury?
No matter how you feel after an auto collision, you need to get a medical evaluation from a doctor. You may think that you’re uninjured or feel like everything is okay, but this doesn’t mean you’re completely healthy. It’s common for car accident injuries to have delayed symptoms, meaning they take a while for you to feel or notice.
You may be wondering how this can happen. During a collision, your body fills with adrenaline. The shock of what happened blocks the symptoms of the injuries, leading you to believe that you’re unharmed. But even if you’re able to walk away from an accident, you may find yourself in incredible pain the next day when you wake up. Symptoms could take a few days or sometimes weeks to present themselves.
Delayed injuries typically involve soft tissue, which can result in swelling, painful bruising, or discoloration. You may also notice the area is painful or difficult to move after a while. These injuries may not be apparent immediately after the accident. They can take days to develop.
Whiplash is one major concern as a delayed injury, and often occurs after being involved in a car accident. This occurs when the neck is jerked back and forth. Those who have suffered from whiplash can feel headaches, dizziness, pain in their neck, spine, and even back. These symptoms may not be present directly following the accident, but may be noticeable hours or even days afterwards. Getting prompt medical attention is the best way to diagnose and treat injuries that present with a delayed onset.
You also can’t ignore psychological trauma. A car accident is a near-death experience, which can take an emotional toll on people. Those who survive a crash may start to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or have other extreme forms of stress. While it’s entirely common to not feel like yourself after an auto wreck, persisting symptoms may warrant a professional’s help.
The Importance of Seeing a Physician After an Auto Collision
Failing to go to a doctor can seriously affect your compensation. If you wait a long time before seeing a medical professional, your injuries may worsen. This means that your treatment may have to be longer, or you’ll need a more intense recovery plan. This could mean higher medical bills and you may have to take more time off work than you would have if you’d seen a physician earlier. There’s also the chance that your injuries could worsen and result in you having chronic pain.
Getting to a doctor quickly will allow you to get a detailed evaluation of your injuries and start a treatment plan so you can start your recovery. You also have peace of mind knowing that you did what you were supposed to do and didn’t allow anything to progress to something worse.
However, if you allowed your injuries to get worse by not seeing a doctor, you may risk losing compensation for those injuries. You may face difficult financial situations because your compensation may not cover everything. You shouldn’t have to worry about finances when someone else caused your injuries, and seeing a doctor establishes that you were being responsible and taking care of your injuries.
There’s also the added benefit that your doctor can inform you of further symptoms to watch out for that may indicate something more serious is happening. If this is the case, you’ll be able to recognize the symptoms and get back to the doctor as soon as possible.
When You Need a Trusted Law Firm at Your Side
After you have started taking care of your health, you’ll need to protect your rights, as this most likely happened because of a negligent driver. Belsky & Horowitz, LLC can help you hold them accountable. We can help you with your claim and show you how to navigate this legal process.
For example, it’s common for insurance adjusters to call you and ask how you’re doing. If you say that you’re fine, then this may also be used to say that your injuries aren’t that serious. A personal injury lawyer from Baltimore can help you avoid these situations that could potentially put your claim in jeopardy.
Get in touch with us so we can set up a consultation. We’ll speak with you about what happened and how you were affected. Then, we can begin the fight to getting you the justice you deserve.
