Reasons You Need to See a Doctor Following a Car Accident

 Posted on May 20, 2022 in Car Accidents

According to statistics collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a car accident occurs in the United States every 60 seconds. This comes out to more than five million accidents every year.

Almost two million victims are injured in these crashes, many of them seriously. Tragically, there are many victims who do not even realize they have been injured following a crash because of delayed symptoms. By the time they realize there is a problem, it can be extremely dangerous – even fatal.

Delaying medical help not only puts your health in jeopardy but can also have a negative impact on any lawsuit you bring forward against the at-fault driver. Their insurance company could use that delay in diagnosis as a way to get out of paying you the financial compensation you deserve. Our car accident attorneys have dealt with many insurance companies who have attempted to accuse the victim that they are not really injured or that they were really injured somewhere else, after the accident occurred.

The Body’s Reaction to a Crash

When a crash occurs – even a minor one – it is not uncommon for people to suddenly get a rush of adrenaline. This is the body’s natural way to protect itself against trauma and pain. However, this adrenaline rush can also mask any signs of an injury. This is why many victims will say they are okay after a crash, especially if there are no physical signs of injury, such as cuts or bruises.

It is not uncommon for symptoms to finally begin appearing hours or even days later. It is also not uncommon for the victim to think that the symptoms are related to something else and not the accident and may still think they do not need to seek medical assistance. By the time they finally do, that injury may have gone from serious to life-threatening before they realized they were even hurt.

Types of Delayed Symptoms

Some examples of these type of injuries that can have delayed symptoms include:

• A headache develops several days after the crash and the victim does not make the connection between the headache and the accident, however, that headache could be a sign of a blood clot, brain hemorrhaging, or brain injury.
• Back pain begins to creep in a few days after the accident and the victim thinks they probably slept in the wrong position or overdid some activity, but that back pain could be a sign that muscles or nerves in the spine were injured or a disc was herniated in the car accident.
• Stiffness and pain begin in the shoulder and neck areas and the victim dismisses it as just stress from the crash. The pain is from the crash; however, it is from a whiplash injury and not stress.

Contact a Metro New York Area Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in a car accident, the first thing you should do is seek out a doctor to determine what type of injuries you have suffered in the crash. Your second call should be to Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC. Call 203-661-6000 today to schedule a free consultation with one of our skilled Greenwich, CT car accident attorney.

Source:

https://www.bts.gov/content/motor-vehicle-safety-data