Delayed Injuries After a Car Accident

Car accidents can be incredibly disastrous. Some injuries are noticeable, such as broken bones that you cannot move and open lacerations. Other times, you may feel fine, walking away with just scratches and bruises. Even in these situations, you should go to the hospital for a full examination.

Delayed injuries after a car accident are often hidden but can cost you your life. Be sure to speak with a Lexington car accident attorney about your case.

Potential Delayed Injuries After a Car Accident You May Not Notice

When your body moves rapidly back and forth due to the force of an accident, numerous complications can occur. You may not see obvious injuries, but your body is very good at keeping you alive.

That means your brain stimulates adrenaline to keep you moving to safety and blocks pain signals while you navigate the immediate danger.

The following are some of the more common delayed injuries after a car accident:

• Whiplash: The rapid back-and-forth movement of the head can stretch and damage the ligaments and muscles in the neck. This often takes a few hours or more to develop into a very painful condition.
• Concussions: That same back-and-forth movement at a rapid rate of speed causes your brain to shift within the skull. It smacks into the front and back of the skull, causing contusions that lead to concussions. It may be impossible to see symptoms from a concussion for several hours.
• Internal organ injuries: The steering wheel of your car can easily cause broken ribs, which you may feel, but the damage to the tissues and arteries within your midsection is less obvious. You could have internal bleeding, damage to your kidneys, lungs, and other organs without knowing it.

In addition, less serious but still complicated injuries can occur, such as soft tissue injuries that worsen over the coming days or small broken bones that may not be initially obvious in your hands or feet.

Getting Care Immediately After an Accident Minimizes Risk

When you are in a car accident, go to the hospital right away if you have any symptoms of injuries, struck your head, or otherwise have indications of potential serious injuries. When you do, the emergency room will conduct a full examination that pinpoints any risks.

That includes ensuring your brain, lungs, and heart have no damage and pinpointing any broken bones or torn tissues that could lead to complications.

Protecting your health is your priority. However, going to the ER right away is a way to document these injuries as well. That helps to solidify that the injuries came from the accident. This will help you build your case later and minimize the risk that the insurance company will claim your injuries were not from the accident itself.

Having physical evidence of your injuries after a car accident is essential, such as x-rays, MRIs, and the doctor’s interpretations of your injuries. It helps demonstrate not just what those injuries are, but the pain and suffering you experienced at the time they happened.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Car Accident Lawyer to Learn More

Set up a free consultation with a car accident lawyer in Kentucky ready to fight for you. Contact us at Gary C. Johnson P.S.C., now for a free consultation. Having recovered over $500 million in settlements for clients, we fight for you.