Delayed Injuries After a Car Accident

Why Car Accident Injuries Are Often Delayed

There are many reasons car accident injuries might be delayed after a car crash, but whatever the reason, it does not diminish the seriousness of a delayed injury.

When car accident injuries don’t show up immediately, it’s likely because of the adrenaline rush and shock you’re experiencing. Adrenaline and endorphins temporarily block your body’s pain receptors, masking the pain caused by an internal or unseen injury.

Certain soft tissue injuries and internal injuries can also result in delayed pain. Muscle tears, torn ligaments, and internal bruising may take hours or days after a car accident to manifest into pain.

The seriousness of a delayed injury lies in complications and conditions like blood clots or internal bleeding, which can continue for days or even weeks before physical pain from your injury develops.

Common Types of Delayed Injuries and Symptoms To Watch For

There are a number of symptoms that result from delayed injuries. Knowing what to look out for can help you know what to do after being involved in a car accident. Let’s take a closer look at common types of delayed injuries. 

Whiplash

Whiplash is one of the most common instances of delayed injuries with over 70% of victims reporting that they don’t feel pain from whiplash after a car accident until days later. Whiplash is a type of neck injury that’s caused by a sudden or forceful back-and-forth movement of your neck. 

This typically happens in rear-end accidents, T-bones, or other accidents where your body is forced forward and your neck moves back-and-forth in a violent manner.

Delayed symptoms you might experience with whiplash include neck and shoulder stiffness, dizziness, blurred vision, and neck pain after a car accident. All of which can appear days or even weeks later.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Concussion

Traumatic brain injuries and concussions are head injuries that occur after the head has endured some sort of trauma. Mild concussions occur when the brain shakes inside of the skull, but traumatic brain injuries are more severe and can also happen without a direct blow to the head. 

For example, traumatic brain injuries in a car crash can happen when oxygen is cut off to the brain through strangulation or a blow to the body that causes blood flow to the brain to stop.

Some common TBI and concussion symptoms after a car accident might include constant headaches, difficulty concentrating, emotional distress, memory loss, bruising, constant headache, sleep disturbances (excessive sleeping or difficulty sleeping), irritability, and blurred vision.

Internal Bleeding and Internal Injuries

Internal injuries and internal bleeding from a car accident are some of the most severe delayed injuries and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Signs to watch out for after a car accident regarding internal bleeding and internal injuries might include abdominal pain, excessive bruising, dizziness, fainting, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and difficulty breathing. 

Although these are hidden injuries, they require immediate medical care. It’s because of these types of injuries that it’s important to get checked out by a medical professional immediately after a car accident to rule out the possibility of an internal injury or internal bleeding.

Back and Spinal Injuries 

Back and spinal injuries are some of the most severe injuries victims can suffer after a car accident. Pain associated with these injuries can also be delayed because of how complex the spinal column and nerve bundles are within this region.

Common issues related to this type of injury might include herniated discs or spine misalignment. Numbness after a car accident in the extremities, sharp and sudden pain, and persistent back pain after a car accident are also common symptoms. 

Soft Tissue Injuries 

Soft tissue injuries in a car accident include damage to ligaments, muscles, tendons, and other injuries related to muscle strain. These types of injuries often result in delayed pain but may include symptoms such as localized pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced range of motion in the affected muscles or joints.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

One of the most difficult delayed injury victims might suffer from is not a physical one but emotional distress after a car accident. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological condition that sets in after an individual has endured a traumatic experience. 

It can take weeks and even months for symptoms of post-traumatic stress to appear. When symptoms appear, they might include panic attacks, anxiety, inability to sleep, and intrusive thoughts that force them to relive the traumatic event. It’s important to speak with a mental healthcare professional if you suspect you or a loved one is suffering from PTSD after a car accident.

Blood Clots 

Blood clots are a culprit of delayed injuries and can form after an accident because of injury to blood vessels or immobilization because you are in a state of rest during the healing process. 

Blood clots form when there is slow blood flow throughout the body. They can result in symptoms like swelling, redness, and pain in the extremities. Deep vein thrombosis clots can lead to pulmonary embolisms, which are a medical emergency and can be fatal, if not addressed properly.

Chronic Pain 

Chronic pain after a car accident is one of the most common long-term effects of a delayed injury. Injuries to the back, neck, or other parts of the body can cause a victim to live with lifelong pain, and even periods of immobilization when the injury site is irritated or inflamed.

Because of this, it’s important to seek out immediate medical care to address injuries early on. Doing so can prevent an injury from morphing into a lasting condition with lifelong chronic pain.

Related: Most Common Car Accident Injuries

What To Do if You Experience Delayed Symptoms After a Car Accident

It’s important to know what to do after a car accident so that you get the appropriate medical care. This will also help you catch injuries early on, even if the symptoms are delayed. Here’s what to do if you experience delayed symptoms after a car accident. 

Seek Medical Attention Immediately

Seeing a doctor after a car accident is essential. The sooner, the better. Not only does this help you address the medical health issues you’re facing, but it can also help you establish a track record of medical care, which can then be used as evidence to support your personal injury claim.

After seeking care, report your accident. See our guide to reporting car accidents to learn how. 

Inform Your Doctor About the Accident

When you seek out medical care, let your doctor know that you have been involved in a car accident. Medical professionals will know what to look for regarding delayed injury symptoms or non-visible injuries like internal bleeding.

The Impact on Your Legal Claim 

Victims often fear that if they have a delayed diagnosis, this might weaken their personal injury claim. While it’s always best to seek out medical care immediately and close the gap between the time your accident happened and the time you sought out care, the reality is the longer you wait, the harder it can be to prove your claim.

The right medical care, however, can document that you’ve experienced symptoms of delayed car accident injuries. With the support of a medical testimony highlighting this, you can still build a strong claim, especially when you work with an experienced personal injury lawyer who understands delayed symptoms. The key is to have the medical care and documentation to link the injuries to the auto accident.

It’s important to recognize that even with delayed injuries, insurance companies will try to offer a lowball settlement. The right attorney can push back against lowball offers and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Related: Determining Car Accident Fault

Don’t Hesitate To Contact an Injury Lawyer

At Adam S. Kutner, Injury Attorneys, our team is ready to support you, offering free case consultations to help you understand the strength of your case. Our attorneys have years of experience navigating the legal process, knowing what deadlines and timelines to look out for, how to push back against lowball settlements, and how to protect your rights along the way.

Speak With a Delayed Injury Attorney Today

Delayed injuries are very real injuries that can happen after a car accident, and it’s important that you seek out medical care, even if you don’t have visible physical injuries. 

When you start the claims process, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal options, help you navigate the legal process, and build a strong case rooted in evidence and fact. 

Schedule your free case evaluation with our attorneys to learn more about how we can support you, and recover the compensation you deserve after a car accident.

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