After being involved in a car accident, you might be surprised to find that you feel fine that day. Your neck doesn't hurt, you have minor cuts and bruises and you're not feeling any pain. It's not uncommon for people to feel completely normal after a car accident. Car accidents cause your body to generate adrenaline and endorphins, causing increased energy and a lack of pain. Just because you feel fine following an accident doesn't mean you're actually fine. In fact, a day or so later, you may start to feel all of the pain you thought you were going to feel after the accident. Here's what you need to know about dealing with your injuries.
Always seek medical attention after a car accident The force generated in an automobile collision can injury the body in many ways. Even seemingly minor car accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries. It's not uncommon to see people involved in serious accidents get up and walk away right after their car is totaled. Although you may feel fine, you may still be suffering from internal injuries. Serious bodily injuries from a car crash can, and often do, take time to manifest into pain.
If you've been in a car accident, the best thing you can do is to seek medical attention immediately following an accident – even if you feel completely fine. A doctor will be able to examine you and perform any necessary scans to see if you are injured. If the Doctor believes that you will be fine, that is great news. However, if the Doctor sees something that may need attention, he or she will let you know. The Doctor will also be able to give you advice on how to monitor the symptoms of any potential injuries normally associated with car accident victims.
Many people are tempted to put off a trip to the emergency room after an automobile accident because they don't want to spend the time or money at the doctor's office when they "feel fine". However, putting off a trip to a doctor could lead to even more problems in the future. Plus, it can make it difficult for you to justify a personal injury claim in the future. If you decide that you want to file a personal injury claim after an accident, you'll need to show that you sought medical treatment within a reasonable amount of time. The best way to ensure this is to visit a doctor right after an accident.
Some Injuries Take Longer to Show Up
Not all injuries are obvious right after a car crash. Even though you can see cuts and bruises, you can't see any internal injuries that you may have suffered.
The two most common injuries from a car accident are whiplash and concussions, and both take time to show up after an accident.
- Whiplash: Soft tissue injures are fairly common after a car accident and usually aren't detected right away because they involve ligaments, muscles, and tendons. One of the most common soft tissue injuries in a car accident is whiplash. Whiplash is basically a neck strain or sprain and is the result of your head snapping back and forth with force. Whiplash doesn't show up on x-rays, and the symptoms usually take time to manifest. Symptoms of whiplash include stiffness/pain in the neck, blurred vision, ringing in ears, headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness and a reduced range of motion.
- Concussions: Concussions are also very common after car accidents. Concussions occur when your brain is jolted forward and backward at a great speed, causing it to strike the inside of your skull. Like whiplash, the symptoms of a concussion don't usually show up right away. Symptoms include clouded thinking, abnormal sleep patterns, lack of energy, blurry vision, nausea, dizziness and headaches.
If you've been injured in a car accident, one of the first steps you should take is to seek medical attention, regardless of whether you feel injured. Most of the time, you will feel minimal pain after a car accident; however, you still may be dealing with serious injuries. A medical evaluation will help to identify any potential injuries and complications.
If you're thinking about filing a personal injury claim, the best thing you can do is to meet with an experienced personal injury attorney. They'll be able to look over your case and help guide you through the claims process.
