Car accidents come in all shapes and sizes, leaving victims with numerous injuries they may not feel immediately. In some cases, a person may experience a car accident and walk away from it with only bumps and bruises, which is certainly a blessing.
However, many serious injuries are not visible and do not cause pain for hours or days. If a car accident victim does not receive a full medical examination, they may not realize they suffered injuries until the symptoms set in.
Everyone who experiences a car accident is wise to undergo a complete medical examination as soon as they can, whether they feel pain or not. A qualified medical professional like a general practitioner can help victims identify delayed pain injuries and treat them much quicker, sometimes avoiding pain and suffering, or even saving the victim’s life.
While most delayed pain injuries are not life threatening, internal bleeding and organ damage do not cause pain until they worsen and may be fatal. If you or someone you love recently experienced a car accident, you must make it a priority to seek medical care as soon as you can, to protect your rights and your future health.
Soft tissue injuries
When we use the term “whiplash” conversationally, we usually refer only to neck or back pain from strained muscles, but nearly all of the muscles in a victim’s body may suffer strain and other damage in a car accident. Despite modern advances in vehicle safety features, car accidents are still very violent experiences, and our bodies are simply not built to withstand impacts at any significant speed.
Some of the most common muscular injuries that occur in car accidents affect the neck and back, especially if the victim was rear-ended without expecting it. When a car is rear-ended by another vehicle, the passenger’s heads can snap back and forth quickly, harming the delicate muscles in the neck. If this does not cause pain immediately, the victim may wake up the next day practically unable to move their head at all.
Similar pain and paralysis can occur in many different parts of the body, such as the shoulders and chest, or in the hips and legs. While these injuries are less common than neck and back injuries, they are still painful and debilitating, and require proper treatment.
Seeking treatment and compensation
If you experience delayed soft-tissue pain after an accident, be sure to seek proper medical care and document all of your experiences in detail. Once you have a strong understanding of the injuries and the path of recovery ahead of you, you can start building a strong legal strategy to protect your interests.
If your injuries occurred because of another driver’s negligence, then you may need to file a personal injury claim seeking fair compensation for your medical expenses and lost income. With a strong legal strategy and clear understanding of your rights, you can use the protections of the law and focus your time on physical and mental recovery.
