TYPES OF DELAYED INJURIES FOLLOWING A CAR ACCIDENT

Vehicle accidents often result in injuries that are evident immediately, but occasionally they result in damages that don’t show up until later. Everyone reacts differently to car accidents, with some experiencing more mental trauma than physical trauma and vice versa. Both physical and emotional damage can sometimes be difficult to identify until long after an accident occurs, particularly when there are other distractions.

Here are some of the common injury symptoms that may be delayed following a car accident.

Headaches

Often times car accident victims will experience headaches several days following the crash. Sometimes they may indicate a more serious health problem, including a blood clot in the brain, injury to the head or neck, or a concussion.

Neck or Shoulder Pain and Stiffness

In a majority of car accidents resulting in injury, whiplash is the classic symptom that doesn’t show up for a long period of time. Whiplash injuries may also indicate a serious problem, and often require x-rays, MRIs, or CT scans to properly diagnose the cause.

Back Pain

If a car accident victim experiences back pain following an accident, this could be indicative of injury to the ligaments, muscles, or nerves in the back or even the vertebrae in some cases.

Numbness

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In many cases, a car accident victim may experience loss of feeling in hands and arms, which can also indicate a whiplash injury. This numbness is sometimes a result of damage to the spine or neck.

Abdominal Swelling or Pain

These symptoms could indicate internal bleeding, and other signs of injury that might accompany them, like deep purple bruising, fainting, and dizziness can also show up. Internal bleeding may remain undiscovered for hours or days following an accident and can be life-threatening.

Personality or Physical Function Changes

Changes in either physical function or personality could indicate a traumatic brain injury resulting from a concussion. Signs to look out for include impaired movement, thinking, hearing or vision issues, or overall changes in personality such as the onset of major depression.

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is another common issue that car accident victims experience in many cases. PTSD often entails disturbing, vivid memories of the event, along with recurring nightmares. Flashbacks may also occur.

If a car accident victim experiences delayed injury symptoms, the person may want to consult with a Las Vegas car accident attorney to evaluate his or her case.