Be on the lookout for late-appearing injuries to ensure you get full and fair compensation.
While severe injuries like broken bones or burns will be glaringly obvious in the aftermath of a car accident, other types of injuries may take longer to appear. After all, the shock of an accident typically causes the body to produce endorphins, which mask pain and other symptoms of injury. You need to give these endorphins time to wear off in order to fully assess the impact of the accident on your body.
Top Two Late-Appearing Car Accident Injuries
The two most common types of late-appearing car accident injuries are soft tissue injuries and concussion.
Soft tissue injuries can include all kinds of bruises, sprains, strains, and other types of damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The most common type of soft tissue injury following a car accident is whiplash, which affects the neck. However, many other body parts can be affected with symptoms very similar to whiplash. These symptoms may include:
- difficulty moving or reduced range of motion
- stiffness
- headaches
- dizziness
- muscle spasms
- slowed reflexes
- numbness or weakness in afflicted areas
A concussion is a type of brain injury caused by the trauma of the brain hitting the inside of the skull. In a car accident, this may occur when the head actually strikes another object, such as the steering wheel or dashboard, or when the vehicle comes to a sudden and abrupt stop and the brain bounces back and forth inside the skull. In either case, symptoms may be difficult to detect if you are not aware of what to look for. Symptoms may include:
- headaches
- loss of balance
- blurred or double vision
- tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- convulsion
- vomiting
- disorientation
- confusion
- amnesia
- difficulty reasoning or concentrating
- depression or anxiety
- irritability
- lethargy, insomnia, or other sleep problems
Why You Need to Understand Late-Appearing Car Accident Injuries
It is very important to understand the symptoms of late-appearing car accident injuries for two reasons. First of all, understanding that symptoms like stiffness or headache could indicate real injuries will help you get the care you need in a timely fashion. Secondly, knowing that the full effects of your injuries may not be felt immediately should help you resist the temptation to agree to a settlement prematurely. Instead, you will know to wait a few days until you have had an opportunity to see a chiropractor for whiplash or a doctor for concussion symptoms, so that these medical costs and your pain can be properly compensated.
If the insurance settlement does not include adequate compensation for your late-appearing car accident injuries, you should seek help from a qualified car accident injury attorney like Fernando D. Vargas.
