Silent Injuries That Do Not Appear Immediately After an Accident
Being involved in a car accident can be disorienting and scary, even if it initially seems that no one got hurt and the only damage sustained was to the vehicles involved in the crash.
However, just because you do not show symptoms immediately following a crash does not mean that you did not sustain serious personal injuries that could qualify you to file a car accident lawsuit. Many auto accident injuries have delayed symptoms that can appear hours, days, and sometimes even weeks after a crash.
Car Accidents Often Cause Silent Injuries That Become Louder as Time Passes
Auto accidents sometimes cause such serious property damage and such emotional trauma that it can be difficult to focus on pain that seems minor or almost nonexistent in the immediate minutes after a crash. It is important to remember that different people can have different reactions to injuries. In other words, a back injury in one person might not have precisely the same symptoms – or the same timetable – as a back injury in another person.
Given that certain injuries can take longer than others to show up, healthcare professionals sometimes describe these as silent injuries. They may not have immediate symptoms, but they can produce devastating results in the long run if the victim does not receive proper medical treatment.
Common Silent Injuries
What are some of the most common silent injuries? If you were recently involved in a car accident, you should seek medical attention in order to avoid complications from some of the following silent injuries that are common in crash victims:
- Headaches: A headache may simply be a headache and nothing more, but headaches after a car crash can be signs of very serious injuries. For example, headaches after a traffic collision may indicate traumatic brain injuries such as concussions, or even blood clots in the brain.
- Neck injuries: Whiplash has been called “the classic delayed symptom injury associated with accidents.” If left untreated, whiplash injuries can be debilitating. However, they can be identified by using X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs, and properly treated.
- Back injuries and spinal cord injuries: More than half of car accident victims involved in rear-impact collisions suffer lower-back pain. It is important to have back pain examined by a doctor because it could be a sign of a more serious injury to the back or neck.
- Abdominal pain and swelling: If you notice any abdominal pain, swelling, bruising, or dizziness, you could be suffering from internal bleeding. If internal bleeding is not properly treated, it can be fatal.
- PTSD: Car accident injuries are not always just physical ones. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a serious emotional injury for which victims can also seek compensation.
Do You Have a Personal Injury Case?
If you got hurt in a car accident, even if your symptoms appeared days or weeks after the crash, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. In some car accident cases, the costs of injuries are covered by insurance. Even if you did not seek treatment in an emergency department immediately following an accident, you may still have a claim for compensation.
At Riddle & Brantley, LLP, we are committed to helping people who got hurt in North Carolina car accidents. We know that car accident injuries can result in substantial medical bills and lost wages. An experienced North Carolina car accident attorney can discuss your options for seeking compensation for your losses.