Latent Injuries
I’m Ed Smith, a Benicia Car Accident Lawyer. Vehicle accidents can leave involved individuals with lasting injuries, both physical and psychological. However, some injuries aren’t always immediately apparent after an accident occurs. Many people who receive injuries that cause chronic pain during car collisions don’t notice their injuries for days or even weeks after the collision has occurred. Because of this risk, it is important to have vehicle accident injuries examined by medical professionals.
The following are types of injuries that may present problems some time after the trauma is received:
Soft-Tissue Damage
Of the sorts of injuries received in car accidents, soft-tissue damage is one of the most common. Even collisions that occur at low speeds can easily lead to soft tissue damage because of the force involved in stopping a vehicle suddenly.
One of the most common types of soft-tissue damage suffered in car accidents is cervical sprain, or “whiplash.” This occurs when neck muscles are forcefully jolted backward or forward by the impact of a collision.
Soft-tissue damage is also common around joints and generally results in swelling, pain, and reduced mobility of the affected joint. However, the symptoms of soft-tissue injuries can take weeks to appear and can be initially difficult to detect. It is important to check regularly with a doctor after you’ve been in an accident to make sure that you don’t have serious soft-tissue injuries.
Concussions
A serious impact to the head or even a violent jolt can cause the brain to collide forcefully with the inside of the skull, causing a concussion. Concussions are very serious injuries and their symptoms include headaches, cognitive difficulties, nausea or vomiting, feeling drowsy, asymmetrical pupil enlargement, slurred speech, seizures, confusion, and more.
The symptoms of concussions are often difficult to detect and can go unnoticed by those who suffer the injury and even doctors. Sometimes concussions are not even suspected in cases where individuals haven’t received direct impacts to the head. Being aware of these symptoms and regularly monitoring them is important after being in a collision.
Immediate Injuries
During and directly after being injured in an accident, it is easy for injuries to be ignored entirely because of the body’s generation of endorphins and adrenaline. The chemicals that a body generates during and after an accident help people to deal with shock and get to safety. These same chemicals that aid us in emergency situations can also dull pain and increase energy, effects that make injuries go on unnoticed until long after the accident has occurred.
Refusing medical attention after being involved in a car accident can be a bad idea. Injuries that may cause you major issues later on can go unattended and lead to secondary injuries if you don’t seek medical attention from a professional
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Benicia Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Benicia Car Accident Lawyer. Being involved in a car accident often leaves people with difficult injuries and mounting medical bills. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a crash, call me at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice with no obligation. I can also be reached online at AutoAccident.com.
I have helped Benicia residents obtain the repayment they are owed in claims involving wrongful death and personal injuries since 1982.
Read up on my client feedback here: Avvo, Yelp, Google.
I’m a member of the forum for trial lawyers with past verdicts or settlements of over $1 million: the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
See our Past Settlements and Verdicts here.
I founded AutoAccident.com. It’s Northern California’s most accurate and current website for info about car accidents and personal injuries.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, York Region EMS by Hillelfrei. CC BY-SA 4.0
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