Although people frequently experience immediate injuries in vehicular wrecks, some experience delayed symptoms after a car accident. Symptoms of injuries may not become apparent until weeks or months after a wreck. Hidden injuries after a car accident can leave victims with costly medical bills and physical or emotional limitations that impact their ability to work. Tragically, some victims struggle to recover compensation because their injuries don’t become apparent until long after the wreck.
If you’ve suffered from injuries in a car accident that didn’t become evident until long after the wreck, you may wonder whether you can still file a claim. In this blog, we discuss common injuries from car accidents, the importance of seeking medical attention after a wreck, and filing a claim for hidden injuries and delayed symptoms.
Common Delayed Injuries After a Car Accident
There are many different types of common injuries in car accidents that can come with delayed and hidden symptoms. Additionally, your adrenaline may keep you from experiencing pain after a wreck. Some common hidden injuries after a car accident include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Both mild and severe traumatic brain injuries are common in vehicular accidents. You can suffer from a TBI through trauma to your head, or you could experience a brain injury from your head suddenly shaking back and forth. These injuries are common in wrecks because the force from a collision can jerk your head suddenly, or you may hit your head on your dashboard or airbag.
Concussions are a mild type of traumatic brain injury and are incredibly common. Concussion symptoms may not be apparent until days after your wreck. Some common symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Headaches or migraines
- Sleep disruption
- Altered mood
- Light sensitivity
- Noise sensitivity
If you suspect that you’ve suffered from a mild or severe TBI, you should seek medical attention immediately. These injuries can cause serious disabilities and death.
Internal Organ Damage
The impact of a collision can cause internal bleeding and damage to your organs. Internal organ damage can be life-threatening, so you need to seek immediate medical attention if you suffer from the following symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Losing consciousness
- Diarrhea
- Bruising in abdomen
- Lower abdominal pain
Whiplash
The force of a collision can jerk your head suddenly, and this can strain your neck muscles and nerves, resulting in whiplash. Whiplash injuries can range from mild to incredibly painful and severe. Some symptoms include:
- Shoulder pain
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Arm numbness
- Headaches
- Ringing in your ears
Spinal Injuries
Vehicular accidents can cause damage to your spinal cord, soft tissue, spinal discs, and nerves, and these injuries are not always immediately apparent after a wreck. Some symptoms you may develop include:
- Muscle spasms
- Back pain
- Tingling
- Lack of spinal mobility
- Numbness
Trauma and Emotional Injuries
Car accident victims frequently develop emotional and psychological injuries, and they may begin struggling with these conditions long after a wreck.
Some common psychological and emotional injuries people experience include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Someone may develop these conditions from a physical injury, such as a TBI or amputation, or they may suffer from emotional and psychological injuries because of the accident itself. Some car accident victims may not be aware that they’ve developed PTSD or another affliction until months or even years after their wreck.
How Long After a Car Accident Can I Claim an Injury?
After experiencing a car accident, you need to seek medical attention immediately regardless of whether you’ve suffered an apparent injury. Medical professionals will check for common car accident injuries, so you may be able to address certain issues before you begin suffering from symptoms.
Unfortunately, if there’s a delay between your accident and your medical treatment, you’ll likely have a much harder time with your personal injury claim. Insurance companies look for ways to deny claims, and if you file a claim for an injury long after your accident, the insurance company will argue that the wreck didn’t cause your injuries. Additionally, many insurance companies have a deadline for filing a personal injury claim after a wreck.
To increase your likelihood of recovering compensation for an injury, you need to:
- Report the car accident to your insurance company
- Obtain a copy of the accident police report
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Keep a record of all medical bills
- Write down the conversations you have with medical professionals
- Keep a personal journal and record your day-to-day pain levels, any limitations you have due to your injuries, and your emotional state
- Hire a personal injury attorney
Although it’s much more challenging to prove that a wreck caused your injuries when there’s a delay between the accident and your medical treatment, a car accident lawyer can assist with your claim and increase your likelihood of recovering compensation. They’ll argue on your behalf in and out of court, and they can gather supporting evidence for your claim.
Contact a Maryland Car Accident Attorney
If you suffer from a car accident injury in Maryland, you need to contact a seasoned Maryland car accident attorney. A skilled personal injury lawyer can help prove your claim by gathering expert witnesses, such as accident reconstruction experts and medical experts, and they can subpoena any relevant documents or records that could help you prove that the wreck caused your injuries.
When filing a personal injury claim after a car accident, you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, and more.
If you’re ready to fight for the money you deserve for your injuries, call the Maryland personal injury lawyers at Zirkin & Schmerling Law. We’ve assisted many Baltimore and Maryland residents with recovering the money they deserved for their injuries. Call our office at 410-753-4611, or you can contact us online here for a free case consultation.