In many cases, a victim of a serious car accident will not seek medical attention immediately through the ambulance at the scene of the accident or at an emergency room. Many victims feel that their injuries are simply not serious enough to warrant medical attention. However, the rush of adrenaline following an accident can actually prevent a victim from processing the information necessary to understand that they are severely injured. If you made the decision not to seek medical attention following a car accident, these are 5 common symptoms that do not immediately present themselves but can be signs of serious or life-threatening injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are extremely common following a car accident and can range from mild to deadly. Brain injuries are oftentimes not discovered immediately following an accident, and may even take days or weeks for the victim to notice cognitive dysfunction or challenges. If you feel that you have any kind of balance issue, nausea, confusion, motor skill issues, the inability to clearly think, changes in personality, or disorientation following a car accident, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord can be significantly damaged in a car accident leading to either temporary or permanent paralysis. In some catastrophic cases, these symptoms will be immediately present, however, in other cases, serious spinal cord injuries do not present until hours or days later. If your back continues to feel sore following a car accident, make sure to see a medical professional.
Whiplash
While many people have heard that car accident victims suffer from whiplash, this type of injury can actually be very serious and remain undiscovered for hours or days after a car crash. If adrenaline masked your pain, but now you feel pain in your neck or back, you should seek medical attention immediately. Whiplash injuries can be very serious and if left untreated can cause permanent damage.
Internal Injuries
Some injuries suffered after a car accident, are invisible to the naked eye. Internal injuries or injuries to organs can be life-threatening even if there are no immediate symptoms. Internal bleeding may not be noticed following a car accident, which is why you should always seek the advice of a physician if you feel that you may have any type of injury. The minor scrapes and bruises you suffered could be a sign of much more severe internal injuries.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in any way following a car accident, your injuries may be more serious than you understand. You should always seek medical attention following a car accident, or anytime you start to feel any kind of pain or disorientation. If you were injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at O’Donnell Law Offices. We proudly serve clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston. Call us at 570-821-5717 or online today.
Resource:
mayfieldclinic.com/pe-tbi.htm
https://www.odonnell-law.com/2020/03/13/what-to-do-after-a-hit-and-run-accident/