After being involved in a car crash, people sometimes think that if they see no visible wound or feel pain that they are not injured. However, once the shock wears off, some minor symptoms may surface that could be indicative of a serious or even life-threatening injury.
At Jay Trucks and Associates, we discuss what some of these symptoms are and why we strongly recommend that you seek medical care immediately following any accident.
If you were in a car crash and suffered injuries, we recommend that you contact a qualified lawyer to discuss your situation and what legal options may be available to you. Our firm offers an initial consultation with one of our Grand Rapids car crash lawyers at no cost or obligation to you. It is a great opportunity to find out if you may have a case and get answers to your legal questions.
Should You Wait to See a Doctor After an Accident?
Ideally, you should seek medical attention immediately after a car crash. The reason for this is that even in minor collisions you can suffer a severe injury. There are many types of injuries that are not initially apparent, but which could be serious or even fatal. These include:
- Internal organ damage
- Head injuries, such as a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Internal bleeding
- Herniated disk or other spinal cord injury
- Whiplash
- Severe ligament or muscle injury
Making sure you receive proper medical care for any injuries you sustain helps you to protect your health. However, seeing a doctor will also create a valid record of your injuries that you can link back to the accident.
During your free consultation with our firm, we can explain more about how Michigan’s no-fault system works after a car crash and what compensation you may be eligible for to help cover your medical costs, lost wages and more.
Minor Symptoms After a Crash You Should Not Ignore
It is completely natural to be in shock after any type of accident, especially something as traumatic as a car crash. Often victims may look for visible evidence of a physical injury and, seeing none, assume they were not hurt. However, some injuries are not visible and physical symptoms may not show up for days.
Delayed symptoms that may indicate a more serious injury include:
Headaches:
Severe headaches that do not go away on their own may signal that you suffered a TBI or concussion, especially when accompanied by other symptoms that may include nausea, difficulty sleeping, dizziness or memory loss. Persistent headaches can also be a sign that you have a hematoma (a build-up of blood inside or outside the skull). Left untreated, this can be extremely dangerous and can even cause you to have a stroke.
Numbness, Tingling or Weakness in Any Area
Any time you experience weakness accompanied by numbness or a tingling sensation of any area of your body, you may have a more serious injury. Common injuries could include a spinal cord injury, brain injury or internal bleeding.
Abdominal Pain
Organ damage or internal bleeding is almost always accompanied by symptoms that include abdominal pain, swelling of the abdominal area, dizziness, nausea, vision changes and shortness of breath. These symptoms may also indicate that you are bleeding internally in other areas of your body, such as intracranial bleeding if you suffered a head trauma. If you do not seek medical attention, your injuries could become fatal.
Back Pain
We all experience minor aches and pains in our back from time to time, but this type of back pain is persistent. It may feel like a radiating pain that travels down to your buttocks and legs. Injuries that cause this type of pain could include a ligament or muscle injury, or you could have suffered a spinal injury, such as a herniated or bulging disc, cracked vertebrae or pinched nerves. Back and spinal injuries take a long time to heal and can greatly impact your ability to go back to your normal activities.
Neck Pain or Stiffness
This may a sign of a whiplash, which can be extremely painful and debilitating, but less serious. However, it can also be a symptom of a more severe spinal cord injury or TBI.
Injured in a Car Crash? Contact Our Firm for Legal Help
At Jay Trucks and Associates, we are prepared to help those injured in a car crash due to another’s negligence. We strongly recommend that you seek medical care to protect your health first, but then contact our firm for legal help. Not only can it provide you with peace of mind knowing that an experienced attorney is protecting your legal rights and best interests, but it can allow you to focus on recovering from your injuries.
Our firm has more than 30 years of experience and a proven track record. During that time, we have recovered millions in compensation for our clients, including a $2 million settlement for a 43-year-old male who suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by another car.
Initial consultations are completely free, and they carry no obligation to you. If we find you have a case and we represent you, there is nothing for you to pay up front. We do not get paid unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
