Symptoms of a Delayed Car Accident Injury
The number of car accidents in Michigan last year amounted to 312, 798, which is around 857 accidents each day. The same report from the Michigan State Police also notes that 75, 838 of the crashes ended in injuries while 974 ended in fatalities.
With such a high number of accidents, anyone can get into one. Yes, sometimes accidents can be a minor fender bender where no one gets hurt. In fact, there are some accidents where you might think there are injuries sustained. However, you might be surprised to see the people involved walking around just fine. They sometimes come out of the accident as if nothing happened. It’s important to know that this can actually happen because of our body’s natural reaction after an accident.
When your body experiences a trauma, its reaction is to pump up adrenaline so that you can deal with the injuries that you might have sustained from it. Because of this, you might not feel any pain or discomfort immediately after an accident.
Indeed, some people don’t feel anything after a few hours, a day, or even a few weeks after. But this doesn’t exclude them from the fact that their body has received an injury that could become fatal later on. It just goes to show how important it is to get to the hospital regardless of the type of accident.
5 Symptoms of a Delayed Car Accident Injury
To help you out, below are the five most common signs and symptoms you should watch out for in case you or your loved ones got involved in a car accident.
- Headache
Headaches are common symptoms of any disease, and that’s why people easily dismiss it. We can’t blame them because most of the time, headaches go away on their own. However, if you were recently in a car accident and you started having headaches, it’s best to get yourself checked immediately. Headaches after a car accident could mean any of the following:
- Blood clots on the brain
- A serious concussion
- Neck or head injury
A headache can be an indication of a traumatic brain injury. As such, there’s a possibility that you hit your head during the accident and that the soft tissue of your brain hit the hard interior skull of your head. When this happens, there could be bruising, swelling, or brain tissue damage, which could be life-threatening.
- Shoulder and Neck Pain
If you’re experiencing delayed shoulder and neck pain after an accident, you might be suffering from whiplash. Whiplash commonly occurs in rear-end collisions because this is when the nerves, joints, and the muscles around your neck are stretched out of the normal range of motion.
When you experience any shoulder and neck pain after an accident, it’s best to have it checked out immediately. In case you do have whiplash, the best thing to combat it is early detection and proper diagnosis.
- Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain after a car accident can be an indication of internal bleeding. Check for deep, purple bruising on a large area, dizziness, and even fainting. These are clear indications of internal bleeding.
Note that because the injury is happening inside of the body, it may take hours or worse, days before internal bleeding can be diagnosed. Make sure to go straight to a hospital if you experience abdominal pain after a car accident.
- Tingling or Numbness
Another symptom to watch out for after a car accident is tingling or numbness to the hands and arms. It can be an indicator that you have suffered some damage to your neck or spinal column. The catch here is that the symptoms will not manifest until a few hours after the accident.
One of the conditions associated to numbness on the limbs is a herniated disk. It happens when a herniated disk presses on the spinal nerves, which then causes the numbness and tingling to your hands and arms.
The key to identifying this injury is by having an x-ray or any other image testing so that the doctor can quickly catch the condition and start on the treatment. It prevents the damage from getting worse.
- Mental and Emotional Trauma
Any car accident, whether with injuries or none, can be quite traumatic to anyone. Someone who got involved in a car accident may experience mental and emotional trauma, which can then lead to drastic effects on the person’s life. It can result in post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Some of the signs to watch out for include the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Drastic changes in eating and sleeping habits
- Mood swings
- Flashbacks or having nightmares about the traumatic incident
Get in Touch with a Car Accident Lawyer in Michigan
In the unfortunate event that you got into a car accident, immediately seek medical help. Then, if you or any of your loved ones suffered any of the delayed symptoms due to a car accident and you feel that you were not responsible for the accident, then it’s best to get in touch with an experienced car accident lawyer. After all, you should be adequately compensated for any damages, whether emotionally, physically, or mentally, that you have suffered from a car accident.
The Clark Law Office is the leading personal injury law firm in Michigan for the last 30 years. Contact our Lansing car accident lawyers today for a free case evaluation. Call us at (517) 347-6900 or fill out the form on the side. You don’t have to pay anything until we win your case.
- Understanding The Impact: What Happens If The Cerebellum Is Damaged? - September 9, 2024
- What is the Speed Limit on Unmarked Roads in Michigan? - September 5, 2024
- What To Do If No Ticket Is Issued: Car Accident Tips for Victims - September 3, 2024
