Posted on Monday, December 18th, 2017 at 4:32 am
Thousands of individuals are injured in personal injury accidents each year in the United States. Negligent parties cause life-altering injuries that result in severe physical pain and emotional suffering. Accident victims lose thousands of dollars in damages including the cost of medical care, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket expenses associated with the accident and their injury. Our California personal injury attorneys can help.
Have I Been Injured in an Accident?
Some injuries are immediately known after an accident because of the nature of the injury, such as a broken bone or severe burn. However, other injuries might not be as easily recognizable after an accident. Many people walk away from an accident believing they are not seriously injured because they “feel fine.” Only days or weeks after the accident do they begin to experience symptoms that they do not understand. In some cases, an accident victim may not consider the accident as causing their symptoms. They might assume another condition is causing the symptoms.
For whatever reason, the victim might not consider filing a personal injury claim. However, it is very important that you consult with an attorney as soon as possible because you might be entitled to recover compensation even though your symptoms did not begin until a few days or weeks after the crash.
Some of the common injuries that might have delayed symptoms include:
Concussions
Concussions are common injuries in car accidents and slip & fall accidents, but many people do not know they have a concussion until the symptoms appear hours or days after the accident. In some cases, a victim associates symptoms with the aftermath of the crash or the stress of an accident. If untreated, a concussion can lead to long-term complications.
Symptoms of a concussion include:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Loss of memory
- Mood changes
- Sleep issues
For more information on concussion symptoms, you can visit the CDC’s website.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a common injury in rear-end car crashes. However, whiplash can result from any personal injury accident that causes the head to whip forward and backward in sudden, violent motion. In some cases, you could suffer whiplash in conjunction with a concussion.
As with a concussion, whiplash symptoms may not appear for hours or days after the accident. Common symptoms of whiplash include:
- Stiffness and pain in the neck and shoulders
- Headaches
- Pain worsens when you turn your head
- Tenderness in the upper back, arms, and neck
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Loss of range of motion in the neck
- Blurred vision
- Numbness and/or tingling in the arms
- Ringing in the ears
- Memory problems
- Sleep issues
For more information about whiplash symptoms, you can visit the Mayo Clinic’s website.
Psychological Trauma
PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an often-overlooked condition that can affect accident victims. PTSD can occur as a result of a catastrophic accident, but it can also occur in a minor accident. Because the symptoms of PTSD can occur days, weeks, or months after an accident, accident victims might not associate the symptoms with the personal injury accident.
Symptoms of PTSD include:
- Nightmares or night terrors
- Flashbacks of the accident
- Depression or mood swings
- Panic attacks
- Avoiding places or events that remind you of the accident
- Inability to return to the scene of the accident or perform the activity associated with the accident
For more information about PTSD and its symptoms, you can visit the website for the National Institute of Mental Health.
Sacramento Personal Injury Attorneys
Contact Tiemann Law Firm at (916) 999-9000 to request a free legal consultation with a California personal injury lawyer.
