Car Accident Injuries With Delayed Symptoms
The Texas Department of Transportation reported that in 2014, nearly 238,000 people were injured in car accidents with 17,152 experiencing injuries considered serious. if someone suffers a broken bone, or have blood spouting from a wound, they are taken to a hospital for immediate medical treatment. in other situations, a car crash victim’s injuries may not be so apparent. Injuries may not show symptoms until a few days or weeks later.
If this is happening to you, seek medical attention. Under the stress of the accident, the body produces chemicals known as endorphins which mask pain. When the stress is reduced and the endorphins stop being produced, pain that was not previously felt may arise with a vengeance.
Here are some car accident injuries that may not show symptoms immediately:
Whiplash
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury of the neck caused by the way the head and neck jerk suddenly forward and backward in the accident. Usually, there is no immediate pain whiplash symptoms delayed are common. a few days or weeks later, you may develop:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Pain when you move your head or neck
- Upper arm and shoulder stiffness
- Muscle spasms
Other Soft Tissue Injuries
- Sprains
- Strains
- Tendonitis
These injuries may impact the wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee or ankle joints causing you to feel a tenderness or loss of mobility.
Concussions and Brain Injuries
Brain injuries can be insidious and develop slowly over time and pain after car accident delayed can be very common. Headaches, blurred vision, balance problems and any issues with cognitive functioning are indications of brain injuries. Medical treatment is imperative and may be life-saving.
When is it Too Late to File a Personal Injury Case?
Car accidents are some of the most common types of personal injury cases presented to insurance companies for payment of damages. Insurers expect you to seek medical treatment within 72-hours of your accident. if you fail to do this, they decrease the value of your claim. an experienced personal injury attorney will know how to present your medical evidence to prove the accident caused you the type of harm that shows up late.
There are two things that may prevent you collecting for your damages and no matter how brilliant an attorney may be, or how seriously you now discover you are injured, you will be precluded from collecting from the vehicle driver who caused the accident.
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If the Statute of Limitations has run: in Texas, you are required to bring a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the incident which caused the injury. This is called the Statute of Limitations and, if you wait until time has run out, you will be barred from bringing a claim to collect for your damages.
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If you accepted a settlement from the insurer and signed a waiver: When you accept a settlement for your injuries from an insurer, you almost always sign a waiver which says you agree that this is all the money you will ever get for your injuries. Unfortunately, if you signed this document, even if you later discover other injuries, you generally will not be able to collect for them.
Seeking compensation for your personal injury?
Contact an Attorney When You Have Delayed Symptoms
If you were injured in an accident, and had delayed symptoms attributable to it, you need the assistance of experienced personal injury attorneys who works to understand your situation and who will fight to obtain all the compensation to which you are legally entitled. Contact us online at the West Law Office, PLLC or call us at 281-347-3247. We offer a free and confidential consultation. Call us even if you think you may be precluded from collecting. if there is an exception to your case, we will find it.
