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Are There Delayed Injuries I Should Know About Following an Accident?

Personal Injury Lawyer

In general, car accidents can be quite terrible experiences, even if the damage ended up being minor, as a personal injury lawyer in Trenton, NJ can attest. However, every person responds differently to a car accident. Some may feel confused and foggy, while others are flooded with anxieties about what may happen next. Along with the mental and emotional trauma, the body may have sustained injuries that do not present themselves in the immediate moments after a car accident. With the body being flooded with adrenaline and shock, it may take hours before certain injuries are observed. Even very serious physical conditions may not show symptoms until days after.

Here we have listed a few of the top injuries and symptoms that may have delayed onset after a car accident:

#1 Brain Injuries

Headaches that appear in the days after a vehicle collision are common, but this doesn’t mean they should be shrugged off as no big deal. Headaches can be a symptom of a brain injury, and is the body’s way of telling us something isn’t right. A concussion, brain inflammation and/or brain bleeding could be the cause of severe, unrelenting headaches after a car accident. If medical care isn’t sought promptly, a brain injury can turn into a life-threatening condition.

#2 Neck and Shoulder Pain

Aches and pains associated with the neck and shoulder area are often a result of whiplash injuries. When a person is hit abruptly, he or she may be thrown in such a way that the neck jolts forward and backward. Whiplash injuries can be serious and may occur even in minor accidents where the drivers were going less than 15 MPH.

#3 Internal Bleeding

Signs of internal bleeding can include deep purple bruising, feeling disoriented, abdominal swelling, and passing out. Internal bleeding can go on unnoticed for hours or even days, and is a potentially life-threatening condition that needs medical intervention quickly.

#4 Numbness or Tingling

Losing feeling in the extremities can be another symptom of whiplash injury, where a person experiences numbness due to neck or spinal column damage. Lacking sensation or tingling is not normal, and should be responded to with a sense of urgency.

#5 Personality Changes

The effects of a traumatic brain injury may not be observed right away. Family members and friends of a car accident victim may start to notice personality changes as the days and weeks go past. Loved ones may be confused as to why this is happening, and may not link it directly to the car accident. Other symptoms that may accompany personality changes include trouble with vision or hearing, impaired memory, and increased irritability.

#6 Back Pain

Back pain can develop due to damage of muscles, nerves, ligaments or vertebrae. Lower back pain is common in a vast majority of rear-impact and side-impact collisions. A person may initially think this back pain is normal and will get better on its own. But, if serious damage to the spine or surrounding areas occurred, medical treatment is necessary.

Thanks to our friends and contributors from Davis & Brusca, LLC for their insight into personal injury.