Marcus Richards
Getting injured in an accident is a very stressful experience. Shock is not uncommon after a collision. When a person is injured, their adrenaline will often kick in. They may not be able to feel pain from an injury right away. Hence, an injured person will often think that they are just fine after a collision and that they do not have to go to the doctor. When an injury is untreated, it may become more serious.
If an injury is not detected immediately after an accident, an insurance company may not pay for it. Hence, any personal injury attorney in Thousand Oaks will tell you that it is very important to get medical treatment right after a crash.
What Kind of Injuries Are Not Immediately Apparent?
There are several different types of injuries that a person may not be able to feel right away.
Concussion
A concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury. It happens when a person gets a blow to the head. During an accident, your brain may move back and forth within your head. When a person’s brain moves around in their head in an unnatural way, it may cause changes in brain chemistry and damage to the brain cells themselves.
Although people do not die from concussions, they are more serious than most people think. A person who has a concussion may have difficulty remembering things. They may forget assignments at work or school very easily. They may experience chronic headaches and nausea as well.
Back Injuries
People often hurt their backs when they have a car accident. One of the most common types of car crashes is a rear-end accident in which the impact can be very severe. If your spinal cord is injured, you will experience swelling and bleeding around the spinal cord area. What most people don’t realize is that swelling can happen gradually. You might not feel it immediately.
A back injury can lead to paralysis. People with paralysis have to have medical care all of their lives. It will drastically change the way a person does everything and it will decrease their quality of life. Paralysis may affect a person’s ability to work. It may affect personal relationships.
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused when a person’s neck moves back and forth very rapidly. It is one of the most common injuries after a car accident. A doctor will treat whiplash by putting the neck in a brace.
When you have whiplash, you might experience pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. You may have a sensation of pins and needles in your neck. People with Whiplash often complain of having trouble focusing.
Internal Injuries
People who have been injured in accidents can experience internal bleeding without realizing it. Internal bleeding may be sudden and very severe or it may be slow and undetected. It is very dangerous when a person does not realize they have internal bleeding because they may lose so much blood that a doctor will not be able to treat them.
Always Go to The Doctor After an Accident
If an ambulance arrives at the scene of your accident, you should let the EMTs look you over and treat you if they feel it is necessary. If they tell you to go to the hospital with them, you should go.
Even if you don’t need an ambulance, go to the doctor following an accident. They can take x-rays of you and make sure that you are okay. If you do not notice injuries for several weeks, they will be more difficult to treat. An insurance company may try to argue that the injuries did not come from your accident.
Document Your Injuries
If your Injuries were caused by the negligence of another person, That person’s insurance should pay your medical bills. Hence, it is very important to prove that you have injuries. Save copies of your x-rays and your medical bills. Save receipts from any medications that you have had to take whether they are prescription or non-prescription.
Ask your employer to write you a letter stating the number of hours you have missed from work and the amount of money you have lost because of it. If you have any additional expenses such as house cleaning or child care, save documentation of that as well.
A car accident is a traumatic experience you are probably anxious to forget. However, getting checked out by a doctor is imperative to your health and necessary for insurance purposes.
