A car accident can be a traumatic experience. A serious accident can turn your life upside down and leave you picking up the pieces. Car accidents can lead to crippling injuries that may keep you out of work and result in expenses that go far beyond the medical costs alone.
Some injuries don’t immediately present themselves following a car accident, so it is important to know the symptoms to look out for in order to still receive compensation for injuries that are not immediately clear.
After an accident, you should always get checked out by a medical professional, even if you feel fine. When you have suffered an injury that is not immediately obvious, it’s important to get documentation of the injury as soon as possible. A delay in diagnosis could lead to a suspicion that the damage was not related to the car accident and is thus not covered by insurance, and an at-fault driver is not responsible.
Headaches
Many people who are involved in car accidents experience headaches afterward. Most of the time, these accidents are harmless and will only last for a short time. Occasionally, though, these headaches are a sign of a more serious problem. Even if a doctor checked you out and gave you a clean bill of health following an accident, you should be examined again if headaches persist for more than a couple of days.
Head injuries can have dire consequences if untreated. Headaches could be a sign of blood clots in the brain or traumatic brain injury. These conditions can be life-threatening, so it is important to get a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible to avoid long-term harm.
Back Pain
Other common injuries suffered during a car accident, which are often not immediately observable, are whiplash, a herniated disc, a soft tissue injury, and a spinal injury. These injuries can take days to present themselves, and the first sign is often back pain. These conditions can result in severe mobility difficulties and should be treated as quickly as possible.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Other common signs of whiplash or a spinal injury are neck and shoulder pain. Whiplash can present itself immediately following an injury, or it could take days until the pain develops.
Abdominal Pain
The most common cause of abdominal pain after an accident is internal bleeding. Internal bleeding can be life-threatening and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible in order to reduce the risk of serious consequences. When abdominal pain is accompanied by bruising, dizziness, and fainting, internal bleeding is undoubtedly the cause. Make sure to seek medical intervention as soon as possible.
Numbness and Tingling
Other common symptoms that point to whiplash or a spine injury are numbness and tingling in your extremities. Seek medical attention to get a diagnosis as nerve damage causing numbness can grow worse if untreated.
Changes In Behavior
Following an accident, people may have behavioral changes that are not specifically injury-related. Depression is a change that may be related to circumstance rather than injury. However, depression and other behavioral changes, as well as problems with vision or hearing and memory loss, can be signs of a more serious problem.
A concussion or other traumatic brain injury can result in personality changes and need to be diagnosed as soon as possible to minimize the damage.
Other Problems
These aren’t the only issues a victim of a car accident might face following a car accident. Many car accident survivors end up developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a serious mental condition that can have large scale ramifications on a person’s emotional health and their relationships with others.
It is important to seek counseling to deal with the effects of PTSD as soon as possible, as the condition will otherwise continue to pose problems for the victim.
Seeking Compensation
The costs of injuries sustained from a car accident can be sky-high. Your best bet at getting fair compensation is to hire a qualified car accident lawyer. By doing so, you will put yourself in a position where you can receive all of the medical assistance you need and afford to pay for it. By seeking immediate medical attention following an accident, you can put your lawyer in the best position possible to get you the money you deserve.
If you suffered an injury from a car accident in Florida, contact a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer today to get a fair settlement offer and move on with your life.
