Are you suffering delayed symptoms after a vehicle accident?

Posted in Our Blog on June 4, 2018

Vehicle accidents in Louisiana are typically dreadful experiences, and the emotional and mental trauma might disguise physical damage that is not obvious. Sometimes accident victims who have no apparent broken bones or blood gushing from an open wound decline a trip to the hospital. However, this can be a mistake because many crash injuries have delayed symptoms that might only become evident in the days or weeks after the car accident.

Injuries could cause damage to your internal organs, muscles and ligaments, the spinal column, and other parts of your body, and by the time it becomes evident, damage could be severe. For that reason, a thorough medical examination after any automobile accident is essential.

Potential delayed symptoms

After an accident, you could experience any of the following delayed symptoms:

• Shoulder and neck stiffness and pain: Whiplash injuries occur in most impact accidents, whether a collision was head-on, rear-end or T-bone — even at slow speed. The rapid movement of the head can cause severe injuries with long-term health consequences, and it may require MRIs, CT scans or x-rays for diagnosis.
• Numbness: The loss of feeling in your hands and arms can also indicate whiplash damage to your spinal column or neck.
• Headaches: If you develop headaches in the aftermath of a crash, it might be a red flag for a potentially serious problem. It could indicate a neck injury, concussion or even a blood clot in your brain.
• Abdominal pain or swelling: Deep blue bruising over large areas, fainting or dizziness, swelling, and pain in the abdominal area might indicate a potentially life-threatening condition if there is undiscovered internal bleeding.
• Back pain: While back pain might point to injured ligaments or muscles, the cause might be a pinched nerve or damaged vertebrae.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: If you experience nightmares and recurring vivid flashbacks of the accident you might have PTSD, which can cause long-term problems.
• Personality changes and physical function limitations: If your thinking or memory seems impaired or if you experience problems with your hearing, vision or movement, this could be a sign of a traumatic brain injury. It could even cause personality changes and depression.

Some of these conditions can cause chronic problems that might lead to long-term medical expenses. If your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to pursue financial relief through the Louisiana civil justice system, but you will need medical reports and bills to justify such claims. Experienced legal counsel can assist with establishing negligence and making sure a personal injury claim is filed within the statute of limitations.