Getting into a car accident can be a scary experience. But if the accident was minor, you may find yourself walking away unharmed. This can be great for you both physically and financially. Unfortunately, not all injuries or problems appear right after a car crash — there is always the chance that you may have delayed injury symptoms. So what should you do if you find yourself suffering from your accident later on?
Be Aware Of Potential Delayed Symptoms
While injuries can vary greatly from accident to accident, there are a few common delayed injury symptoms that you should keep in mind. Car accidents, even minor ones, can do a lot of damage to the body. This is why problems like headaches, back pain, and other physical pain are so common. Even if your body feels fine right after the accident, you may begin to experience physical pain days, weeks, months, or even years after the crash.
Another common delayed injury symptom is numbness. Experiencing numbness is common in those who had whiplash, back injuries, or even nerve damage in the accident. And it’s important to remember that not all impacts of a car accident are physical—behavioral changes and PTSD are also common in the aftermath of an accident. Being in a car accident is a traumatic event and people may experience emotional problems due to the trauma they went through.
Find The Right Medical Help
No matter how minor a car accident is, you should always seek medical attention right after. Seeing a doctor will not only allow you to get help for any injuries, but the doctor may be able to tell you of any potential problems you may see in the future. While it’s not always possible to predict medical problems you’ll have in the future from a car accident, a doctor will be able to tell you possible effects from any minor injuries you sustained.
But if you do start to experience delayed injury symptoms, no matter how long it has been since the accident, you need to see a doctor. Injuries, especially those related to a car crash, can be severe and should be addressed as soon as the symptoms start to show.
Furthermore, it’s important to seek the help of the right kind of doctor. You may need the help of your primary care physician to refer you to a physical therapist or a psychiatrist for further treatment after your accident. But you may also need the help of other doctors, like those that specialize in cosmetic dentistry.
Injuries from car accidents aren’t always broken bones and bruises—you may experience other problems, like missing or broken teeth from the impact. In this case, it’s crucial to find a dentist you can rely on to fix any dental pain and deformities that may have resulted from the accident, even if it’s months after the crash.
Hire A Reputable Personal Injury Lawyer
After finding a doctor to help with your delayed injuries, the next important thing to do is find a personal injury attorney. Personal injury cases are usually most successful when they’re filed and managed soon after the accident, but that doesn’t mean you can’t seek compensation for delayed injury symptoms.
Right after the accident, a medical professional should be able to tell you how long it may take for all of your injuries to fully show, which will give you enough time to determine which injuries you need to seek compensation for. But that doesn’t always happen and your injuries may appear much later on. This can make a personal injury claim more difficult, but not impossible as long as you didn’t sign a release saying you won’t take any further legal action.
An attorney from a reputable law firm, like Daniel Kim Law Firm, will be able to help guide you through the claim process. Having an experienced attorney by your side will help increase your chances of receiving proper compensation for your delayed injuries.
Experiencing any injuries, whether they show up right after the accident or months later, can be difficult to deal with, both physically and financially. So if you’re experiencing adverse side effects of an accident, make sure to keep this information in mind to ensure you’re making the right steps.