Recognizing Symptoms of Serious Car Accident Injuries Early

Critical Steps To Follow for Your Health & Safety

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Feeling okay after a car accident?

Believe it or not, that’s exactly what most people feel after being in a crash. You have adrenaline rushing through your body. You’re trying to collect insurance information and call your insurance company. You’re focused on your to-do list, so of course, you feel fine. Maybe you’re a little rattled, but who isn’t after a crash?

But there’s a big problem here.

Severe injuries from car accidents often don’t show symptoms until later. In fact, symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can take up to 24 hours to show up, according to the Mayo Clinic. The longer you wait to seek treatment, the more damage an injury can do to your body.

Below, we’re going to share everything you need to know about recognizing symptoms of serious car accident injuries early.

• Why Some Injuries Have Delayed Symptoms
• Recognizing Whiplash and Neck Injuries
• Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury
• Internal Injury Warning Signs
• When To Seek Medical Attention
• Protecting Your Health and Legal Rights

Why Some Injuries Have Delayed Symptoms

First, here’s something that most people don’t know.

Immediately following a car accident, your body actually works hard to hide injuries.

The crash triggers a rush of adrenaline and endorphins in your body. These chemicals mask pain and other symptoms of injuries. As a result, you may feel completely fine for hours or even days after the accident.

That’s why so many car accident injuries go unnoticed after a crash. Symptoms don’t start until the body’s stress response subsides. By then, soft tissue damage, internal injuries and brain trauma can already be getting worse.

Partnering with someone like Wisconsin personal injury attorneys who understand car accident injuries can help make sure to begin the medical documentation as early as possible, even if symptoms do not yet manifest themselves. Legal professionals in this field know that medical evaluations immediately after an accident can be important to your health recovery and injury claim.

Recognizing Whiplash and Neck Injuries

Here’s something that not many people realize. Whiplash is more serious than you may think. In fact, whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries, afflicting around three million people in the U.S. every year.

Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain and stiffness that progressively gets worse.
• Headaches, especially in the base of the skull. Tension headaches are a common whiplash indicator.
• Limited range of motion of the neck. Problems turning your head or looking over your shoulder means soft tissue damage has occurred.
• Shoulder pain and upper back pain. The rapid back-and-forth of a crash doesn’t just injure your neck, but the rest of your upper body as well.
• Tingling and numbness in the arms, which indicates potential nerve damage.

Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury

Here’s a crucial point to remember. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen even without a direct impact to the head. The same abrupt movement that causes whiplash causes the brain to slam up against the skull.

Symptoms of TBI to look out for include:

• Persistent headaches that do not go away. Unlike typical headaches, post-accident headaches can be severe and not respond to over-the-counter medication.
• Dizziness and balance problems. Feeling dizzy or off-balance days after an accident may be a symptom of brain injury.
• Confusion and memory issues. Difficulty remembering things or feeling foggy mentally is a red flag.
• Sensitivity to light and noise. This can often go along with brain injuries as well.
• Nausea and vomiting. Combined with headaches, these are strong indicators of brain trauma.
• Changes in sleep patterns. Sleeping more or less than normal.
• Irritability and mood changes. Depression and anxiety following an accident can also signal brain injury.

Internal Injury Warning Signs

Internal injuries can be life-threatening if left untreated, and they often have subtle symptoms that are easily overlooked.

Symptoms of internal injuries to watch for include:

• Abdominal pain or swelling. Even slight stomach pain after an accident is not normal and should be checked out by a doctor.
• Deep purple bruising. Large bruises on the abdomen or chest can be indicative of internal trauma.
• Dizziness or fainting. This can be an indicator of significant blood loss from internal bleeding.
• Shortness of breath. Trouble breathing can be due to lung damage or broken ribs.

Back and Spinal Injuries

Don’t ignore back pain after a car accident.

Spinal injuries can lead to permanent damage if not treated quickly. These are the symptoms.

• Back pain that comes on after the accident. Many people do not immediately feel back pain due to adrenaline.
• Shooting pain down the legs, which is a sign of nerve compression or damage to the spine.
• Weakness in the legs or arms, which is a serious indication that needs immediate medical care.
• Numbness or tingling in the extremities, which is another sign that the spinal cord could be involved.

When To Seek Medical Attention

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to your health. Seek medical attention immediately, even if you think you’re fine.

Don’t wait for symptoms to develop. Many serious injuries can only be identified by medical imaging and examination. A doctor can determine there is a problem before it gets worse.

Go to the ER if you experience any severe symptoms like chest pain, severe headaches, loss of consciousness or severe bleeding.

See your doctor within 24-48 hours if you only have mild symptoms. Delaying medical treatment could hurt your injury claim down the road.

If the doctor recommends it, go to follow up with specialists. Missing appointments and failing to follow up with referrals is bad for both your health and your injury claim.

Protecting Your Health and Legal Rights

Here’s something that most people fail to realize. Delaying medical treatment not only risks your health, but also could damage your injury claim.

Here’s why it’s important to get medical attention immediately following a car accident.

• Insurance companies will use delayed medical treatment as proof that your injuries were not serious. The argument goes that if an injury was really severe, you would have sought treatment.
• Many injuries can get much worse without medical treatment. Small aches and pains can lead to long-term chronic pain and health issues later.
• Medical records are crucial documentation. Early medical treatment creates important documentation and medical records that your injuries were sustained as a result of the accident.

Common Mistakes After Accidents

Try not to make these mistakes.

• Refusing ambulance transport at the scene of the accident. Even if you feel okay, let the paramedics check you out.
• Telling police or insurance companies you are “fine.” This is a classic mistake. Stick to the facts of the accident. Never tell an insurance company you don’t think you were injured.
• Waiting to see if symptoms develop. Go to the doctor immediately, don’t wait days or weeks to see if you feel better.
• Not following the doctor’s orders. Skip no follow-up appointments or recommendations from the doctor.

Wrapping This Up

Recognizing the symptoms of serious car accident injuries early is one of the best ways to avoid long-term problems. Whiplash and brain injuries are not the only serious conditions that don’t have immediate symptoms. Neck and back trauma, internal bleeding and even spinal cord injuries may go unnoticed after a crash.

The post Recognizing Symptoms of Serious Car Accident Injuries Early first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.



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