Delayed Symptoms After Virginia Car Accidents

People who have been involved in car, truck or motorcycle accidents do not always realize they were injured at the crash scene. In some cases, symptoms may set in hours or even days later. Victims of car accidents should be aware of the dangers of delayed symptoms after Virginia car accidents.

The fact pain or discomfort is not immediately obvious after a car accident does not mean you escaped without serious injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are not often obvious after a car wreck.

You should get yourself checked out by a doctor after you have been in a car accident. A medical professional may notice symptoms and risks you are unaware of. The following are seven symptoms you should look out for that may not appear until a few days after a crash.

Back Pain serious problems like nerve, ligament or muscle injury. In more serious cases, you may have suffered damage to a vertebra in the spine.

Headaches

It’s not uncommon for a headache to develop days after a serious vehicle accident. You should be aware headaches can indicate a serious problem like a concussion, a blood clot on the brain, a neck injury or another form of head injury.

Pain or swelling in the abdomen

Any swelling or ongoing pain in the abdominal area warrants a visit to the doctor. If you also suffer from dizziness, bruising, nausea, and fainting, you may be suffering from internal bleeding, a serious medical condition.

Numbness

Numbness in the days after a car accident is another potentially serious delayed symptom after a car crash. Loss of feeling in the victim’s arms and hands is a sign of a whiplash injury. Damage to the neck or the spinal column may lead to a loss of feeling. As many as one in five people who are involved in a car crash suffer from whiplash.

Personality changes and mood swings

Brain injuries are complicated. If you suffer cognitive issues, mood swings, or personality changes in the days or weeks after a wreck, this may be indicative of a brain injury.

Memory loss, sensory issues relating to vision or hearing, aggression, mood swings and impaired concentration can be signs of a TBI.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Painful memories, flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, nightmares and reliving the accident weeks of months later are signs of PTSD. Children often suffer symptoms like flashbacks. The Mayo Clinic offers advice about how to deal with PTSD.

Neck or Shoulder pain

Ongoing neck and shoulder pain are fairly common in people who were involved in a car crash. Whiplash is a well-known delayed symptom associated with accidents. When you are at the accident scene, the adrenalin is often pumping and it masks the pain.

Whiplash is typically associated with rear-end collisions. The injury is known as whiplash because it is caused by the head and neck snapping quickly backward and forward during a crash.

Although this injury often heals in a matter of weeks, the symptoms of whiplash may be ongoing and lead to other serious complications. Whiplash often requires MRIs, X-rays, and scans for a correct diagnosis. If your whiplash symptoms last for more than six weeks, you should seek the advice of a specialist.

Delayed Symptoms After Virginia Car Accidents – See a Doctor Right Away

The possibility of delayed symptoms after a motor vehicle wreck is another reason why you should see a doctor right away after a car wreck. Ideally, make an appointment with your medical provider who is familiar with your history.

If you feel discomfort immediately after a wreck, the symptoms are likely to get worse. Even if you feel no pain, you should consider seeing a medical provider, particularly if the accident was at high speed or involved considerable property damage.

Your doctor is in the best position to tell you whether you sustained any potentially serious injuries in the accident. A doctor will also advise you of the symptoms of complications that may be associated with the accident.

The Dangers of Ignoring Symptoms After a Car Accident

You should never ignore symptoms such as lingering head or back pain after a car accident. These may be warning signs of a more serious condition.

If your doctor diagnoses an injury after a car wreck and you start treatment, continue the course of treatment until the doctor ends it. 

Your medical provider is in the best position to determine how seriously you are injured and to prescribe the best course of treatment for your injuries.

The records of your doctor and hospital visits are the best way to verify and document your course of treatment which is essential after a car accident injury claim.

Insurance companies will look for any excuse to withhold payment. If you ignore symptoms of an injury and hope they will go away, the insurance company will claim you were not seriously injured.

Call an Injury Lawyer for Delayed Symptoms after Virginia Car Accidents

At the Smith Law Center, our attorneys have helped people with serious injuries to obtain the compensation they deserve for decades. In some cases, we have helped clients identify problems such as mild traumatic brain injuries.

If you are concerned about delayed symptoms after a car accident in Virginia or another injury, please call us today for a free consultation at (757) 244-7000.