When you are in an auto accident, some injuries show immediately. The injuries you will notice immediately include bruises, scrapes, broken bones, and cuts. But, even seemingly minor car accidents may result in hidden injuries and delayed symptoms that cannot be detected immediately.
If you pursue a personal injury case, you need to understand these hidden injuries so that you can find them and get the compensation you deserve. Read on to learn what injuries your doctor will find for you.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
An accident may result in different types of brain injuries, and concussions are the most common. You might have a concussion even if you did not experience a severe blow to your head. Some of the symptoms of brain injury include headaches, confusion, dizziness, and nausea.
Interestingly, these symptoms may come much later — you could even mistake them for something else. If you suspect that you may have a concussion, you should contact your doctor immediately, as even minor brain injuries could be life-threatening. Leaving a concussion untreated could result in permanent brain damage and, in extreme cases, death.
Whiplash
A seat belt will secure you in your seat in case of an accident. However, the belt cannot secure your head or neck. Whiplash happens especially in rear-end collisions when your car is hit from behind. The impact means that your body, neck, and head will forcefully jerk forward and backward. The neck muscles strain as such motion is beyond the normal body range.
This jerking motion results in muscle tears and damage to neck muscles. You may have whiplash if you experience symptoms such as headache, back and neck pain, and stiff neck. Since the symptoms of whiplash do not manifest immediately, you should see a doctor to see if the symptoms are related to whiplash.
Shoulder Injuries
As highlighted, seatbelts protect the body from moving off the seat in an accident. However, the tightness of seatbelts as they tighten on impact may put pressure on the shoulders, which results in the tearing of muscles and soft tissue. If your shoulders hurt, you may experience back discomfort. You should consult your doctor to ensure your shoulder injuries do not become more significant problems.
Soft-Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue strains and sprains may not be apparent immediately after an accident. Injuries such as whiplash jerk your muscles out of their normal range of motion; the result is usually muscle tears and sprains.
Injuries to your tendons, ligaments, and muscles may also affect your bones and spine. While you may think your body is sore, these issues may become more complicated if you do not see a doctor as soon as possible.
Herniated Discs
Back injuries, neck injuries, and disc injuries are common during car accidents. Some of the signs that you may have suffered back injury include loss of muscle control, severe back pain, tingling, and numbness.
Herniated discs may be pronounced, but in other cases, you may take days or weeks to realize something is wrong. Physical therapy can help resolve any pain related to painful discs, but a herniated disc will need to be treated by a professional.
Emotional Injuries
Vehicle accidents are stressful, and the full extent of the psychological damage you suffer may not be apparent immediately. You should seek mental health care services if you experience adverse effects such as panic or anxiety attacks when you want to drive, when inside a vehicle, or if you constantly relive the collision.
Accidents are difficult and traumatic. If you find yourself in one, you need to find an experienced, knowledgeable lawyer to represent you. Here at Daniels, Long & Pinsel, LLC, we have the experience to represent your case. Reach out to us for a free initial consultation.