It is no secret that car accidents can lead to serious injuries. These injuries are not always immediately apparent, with some occurring despite the victim feeling relatively fine after an accident.
When a serious injury occurs that may not have presented itself right away, you may have already accepted a settlement from the insurance company. Talking to a car accident lawyer first can help you protect your rights and let you focus on recovery while they navigate the complex legal landscape for you and help get compensation that covers injuries even if they did not show up immediately.
Decoding Delayed Symptoms After a Car Accident
Experiencing delayed symptoms can be an unwelcome surprise for car accident victims, but it is more common than you might think. When your body goes through a traumatic event, it naturally produces adrenaline and endorphins. This survival mechanism allows people to keep going and increases their ability to deal with danger. However, these effects do not last forever, so pain and other negative symptoms can develop later.
Adrenaline and endorphins have incredible effects that allow people to navigate extreme situations but will wear off over time. In the moment, you may feel as if nothing is wrong, but that does not mean an injury is not there. Once these chemicals wear off, you may experience surprising pains from your accident that you did not even know about.
Unmasking Delayed Symptoms: Knowledge Is Power
Quite a few symptoms can take time to manifest in the wake of a car accident. Here are a few of the most common.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue of the neck from the impact of a car crash caused by the head suddenly moving backward and then forward. Rear-end auto accidents are especially prone to creating whiplash injuries. Symptoms may take a while to manifest, the most notable being neck pain.
Concussions
Concussions occur when your brain slams against your skull. Some of the most common concussion symptoms, like light sensitivity, abnormal sleep patterns and dizziness, can take a day or longer to manifest after an accident.
Spinal Injuries
Spinal injuries can be severe, with some of the worst cases leaving victims paralyzed. After all, the spinal cord is your nervous system’s highway through the body. Symptoms like back pain or numbness in fingers and toes could indicate spinal injuries, even if they show up well after an accident.
Internal Bleeding
Internal injuries are easily missed because they may not be initially visible, and you may not even feel them. They can cause serious problems if left untreated. Some common symptoms include nausea, swelling, tight abdomen, extreme thirst and breathlessness.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue damage is relatively common in the wake of car accidents, but the pain associated with it can be delayed. Because soft tissue is virtually everywhere, the pain that accompanies these injuries can manifest all over your body. Soft tissue damage symptoms include redness around the affected area, heat and soreness.
PTSD
Behavioral and emotional changes can also occur long after a car accident in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Blood Clots
Blood clots can form long after a car accident, but the root cause can still be traced back to the accident. If you suffer from blood clots or related symptoms, like coughing up blood or throbbing sharp pain in the arm, leg or chest, a previous accident may be the culprit.
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Ask Tom Today!Navigating Florida’s Legal Landscape: The 14-Day Accident Law
The 14-day accident law in Florida allows for 14 days to seek medical attention for injuries after a car accident. While you can seek medical attention whenever you like, it has to be within this 14-day time frame to qualify for potential PIP (personal injury protection) benefits. Some injuries with delayed symptoms can take longer than two weeks to manifest, so it is always a good idea to seek medical attention as soon as possible, no matter how you feel.
Your Guide to Action Post-Accident in Florida
In the wake of an accident, you should contact emergency services first. Once everyone’s health is secured and police are on their way, you will need to gather evidence. Take photos of the accident scene highlighting damages and get contact information from anyone else involved and any witnesses. Finally, contact a lawyer before you talk to any insurance company.
Stay Alert After an Accident
Delayed symptoms after a car accident should not get in the way of you getting the protection you need. At Thomas J. Ueberschaer, P.A., you work directly with Tom and don’t pay anything unless your case is won.
Contact Tom and his team today for a free consultation by calling 850-434-8778 or filling out our online contact form.