The Top 6 Delayed Injuries That Can Linger After Car Accidents

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The Top 6 Delayed Injuries That Can Linger After Car Accidents

The Top 6 Delayed Injuries That Can Linger After Car Accidents

Jun 1, 2021

Car accident injuries can range in severity, and while some people may notice symptoms immediately, others may develop issues days, weeks, or even months afterward. Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that can run particularly high when people are under conditions of stress or fear. Car accidents are one of the common scenarios where a person may experience heightened levels of adrenaline.

Accordingly, a person experiencing a rush of adrenaline may not be able to notice any immediate symptoms from a car accident injury. But when that adrenaline is eventually lowered, a variety of symptoms and ailments can be seen. This is one of many reasons why it is always advisable to undergo a medical examination and speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after a car accident.

Below we’ll review some of the more common delayed injuries or symptoms that can appear after the actual date the car accident occurred. We’ll also provide details on how to file a personal injury claim to ensure that any medical bills or lost wages resulting from the car accident injury are covered.

Top 6 Delayed Injuries Following a Car Accident

1. Headaches

Headaches are a common symptom that can manifest sometime after a car accident occurs. Headaches are often benign, but they can also point to underlying and more serious conditions that require medical attention. Blood clots, concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), as well as head and neck injuries can be signaled initially by headaches.

Rather than taking some over-the-counter painkillers and hoping the symptoms will go away, having a persisting headache examined by a doctor can be sound advice, particularly after a car accident.

2. Back Pain

Whether it’s a rear-end collision or a side-impact collision (T-bone), one of the most common injuries that can immediately appear after a car accident is back pain or strain. However, this is also one of the most common injuries that can manifest slowly over time.

Any pain, tingling, numbness, or strain in the back after a car accident can be an initial indicator of a more troubling condition, such as a herniated disc, whiplash, a spinal cord injury, or even soft tissue damage.

Having your back pain examined by a doctor is advisable, as these injuries can worsen rapidly over time and leave you unable to properly function.

3. Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is something that should never be ignored, as it can be a sign of a serious condition, such as internal bleeding. While that’s not always the case, and abdominal pain can be a sign of any number of issues, it’s important to recognize the signs of internal bleeding, especially after a car accident.

Symptoms of internal bleeding can include headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, deep bruising to the abdomen (often purple in color), and fainting.

While abdominal pain on its own can frequently warrant a trip to the doctor, any of the aforementioned symptoms should absolutely be examined by a medical professional as soon as possible.

4. Neck and Shoulder Pain

Neck and Shoulder Pain

Seatbelts can save lives, but they also may cause neck and shoulder pain when various types of car accidents occur. Some neck and shoulder pain may appear immediately, but it’s quite common for lingering pain to develop shortly after a car accident.

Delayed neck and shoulder pain is most commonly a sign of whiplash – a serious condition that deserves a complete medical examination. Whiplash is often seen after rear-end collisions, where the driver’s head is quickly forced forward and then backward (like cracking a whip).

Whiplash can be a very serious injury that requires X-rays or an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury. The good news is that if whiplash is detected early enough, there are a number of remedies that can help ease the pain. Hence, acting sooner rather than later when neck and shoulder pain linger following a car accident is always recommended.

5. Numbness and Tingling

Numbness in the extremities (hands, arms, legs, feet) often does not present itself until an extended period of time after a car accident. Such symptoms can be an indication of an injury to the spinal cord, which can require immediate medical attention.

A herniated disc can also be initially indicated via numbness or tingling in the limbs (a precursor to back pain in many cases). When a herniated disc presses on the spinal cord’s nerves, numbness can appear in any of the extremities.

After a car accident, anyone experiencing numbness or tingling is advised to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

6. Behavioral or Mood Changes

If you experienced a car accident injury, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Car accidents can be traumatic events, and experiencing behavioral or mood changes is not uncommon immediately afterward. But if you happen to notice these symptoms lingering for an extended period of time, this could be a sign of either a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) like concussion, or even a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Significant mood or behavioral changes in the days or weeks following a car accident can be a sign of TBI. Other symptoms can include vision impairment, trouble hearing, difficulty with memory, problems with physical movement, and more.

Undergoing a thorough diagnosis, which may entail undergoing an MRI or CT scan, can be the best course of action if mood or behavioral changes are seen following a motor vehicle accident.

The Importance of Seeking Medical Attention After a Car Accident

The Importance of Seeking Medical Attention After a Car Accident

As we’ve noted in previous blogs, the first step after any type of car accident – major or minor – is to ensure that any injuries are attended to by a medical professional.

By undergoing a medical examination after a car accident, an injured victim is able to establish an important timeline that can be used as verifiable evidence in a personal injury claim. By establishing that an injury occurred as a result of the car accident, it’s much easier to prove a civil claim in pursuit of financial damages.

Rather than waiting to see if symptoms worsen, it’s recommended that car accident victims always undergo a medical exam, as erring on the side of caution will allow conditions to be diagnosed and treated in their early stages.

How to Recover Financial Compensation for a Car Accident Injury

When you’re injured in a car accident, the resulting medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and reduced quality of life should not be your responsibility, but the responsibility of the at-fault driver. By filing a personal injury civil lawsuit, injured car accident victims are able to recover the compensation they deserve to make a full recovery that includes physical as well as financial well-being.

Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) Car Accident Division is known throughout California for the unique advantages we offer injured car accident victims.

Our Founder and President, Sam Dordulian, previously served as Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. With over 100 jury trial victories accrued as a DDA, Dordulian brings a level of experience to the role of personal injury lawyer that can’t be found at other firms.

As a result, our car accident clients can have peace of mind knowing that we’ll never accept a quick lowball settlement offer from an insurance company (unlike many “mega firms“). Instead, we prepare every car accident case for trial, so the insurance company or at-fault party is aware that we’ll never settle for less than a maximum financial damages award for any of our clients. Dordulian’s courtroom experience gives all of our car accident clients an added advantage that can lead to a much higher settlement or verdict for their various damages – whether medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, etc.

Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve after a car accident. Doing so could leave you with mounting medical bills or lost earning capacity if the injury lingers. With DLG, you can be sure that your final damages award will ensure your complete recovery now, and protect you into the future.

Additionally, DLG’s Car Accident Division features two former defense attorneys who previously worked for major auto insurance corporations. With their first-hand knowledge and experience, our attorneys are able to ensure that any underhanded trick an insurance company attempts to pull on one of our clients is effectively countered. We never let the insurance company take advantage of a client, and we have the insider industry experience to ensure that they are protected from any kind of tactic.

And with DLG’s investigative team led by a retired LAPD detective who served in the department’s elite Central Traffic Division, our car accident clients can be confident that every piece of critical evidence that can help prove their claim and increase their damages award will be recovered. When we receive a car accident claim, we immediately dispatch Detective Moses and his team to the scene to ensure all evidence that could be beneficial to a claim is gathered.

And with a 98% success rate and over $100 million recovered in settlements and verdicts, it’s easy for injured victims to see why DLG is the best car accident law firm in California.

If you’ve suffered an injury in a car accident, don’t accept a quick cash settlement without first consulting with a dedicated and experienced personal injury lawyer like Sam Dordulian. We’ll be able to review the circumstances of your case and provide you with a recommendation for the best course of action going forward. If there’s a case to be made, we’ll find it and ensure you recover the maximum allowable financial damages award you deserve.

Contact us today online or by phone at 818-322-4056 for a free consultation. With DLG, our NO Win/No Fee Guarantee means you pay nothing until we recover financial compensation on your behalf. When you’re injured in a car accident, put your claim in the experienced hands of DLG and get all the added advantages we offer.


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