If you’ve been in a car accident, some injuries are very clear. If you’ve broken a bone or suffered lacerations, you know you are injured and will seek medical attention.
Unfortunately, though, there are many types of injuries that you can sustain in a car accident where symptoms may not appear for days or weeks. The symptoms could be headaches, neck pain, back pain, or joint pain, and you might assume these injuries ‘just happened,’ but may actually have resulted from your car accident.
It’s important to be vigilant about these hidden injuries. They can cause permanent impairment. Here are a few of the most common – and potentially most dangerous.
1. Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can occur if you brain has impacted the inside of your skull due to the injury. An accident that causes an abrupt back and forth movement of your head or your entire body can cause TBI.
TBI can result in headaches, fatigue, confusion, and loss of memory. It can also result in personality changes. If your head was impacted in an accident, consult a doctor to be checked out for concussion or TBI.
2. Herniated discs
A crash can cause a disc between the vertebra to rupture, and extrude outward. A disc herniated in this way can put pressure on the spinal nerves and inflame them, causing leg pain, arm pain, and severe back pain.
Warning signs of herniated discs can be tingling in the fingers and toes, numbness and weakness in the extremities.
3. Knee injuries
Sometimes a victim of a car accident will hit their knees on the dashboard of the car. A knee injury can be obvious, such as a shattered kneecap, but others can be hidden. The cartilage can be damaged and the meniscus slightly torn. A slightly torn meniscus can start off with mild pain, and later cause difficulty walking. It may take a weeks to manifest, and there’s a danger it won’t be associated with the car accident.
Why You Need a Car Accident Attorney
If you suspect a mild injury may have resulted from your accident, see an experienced car accident attorney immediately.
At Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers, we can help find the right doctors to evaluate your injuries, and determine if you are entitled to damages.
An initial consultation with Bart Bernard is free and confidential. When you need an experienced car accident lawyer, call Bart today. Get the help you need when you need it most.
Click Bart First, Call Bart First™
Additional Sources:
- Bomey, Nathan. “U.S. vehicle deaths topped 40,000 in 2017, National Safety Council estimates.” USA Today. February 15, 2018. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/02/15/national-safety-council-traffic-deaths/340012002/.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths. How Is the U.S. Doing? https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html.
