When you think about the aftermath of motor vehicle accidents, you may envision a blood-soaked crash scene and victims with obvious injuries. It may surprise you to learn that some of the most severe accident injuries do not manifest symptoms immediately.
Depending on the injury, it might take days or weeks to become aware of just how much harm the motor vehicle accident caused. As a result, some Forest, Virginia, crash victims fail to connect emerging injury symptoms with their accident.
3 common accident injuries with delayed symptoms
Often, victims emerge from a motor vehicle accident with no apparent injuries. As you might imagine, they feel immense relief over this and forego a medical examination. Unfortunately, this means that injuries with delayed symptoms usually go undiscovered for a time. Three potentially catastrophic injuries that may have no immediate symptoms include:
- Traumatic brain injury: You may expect to lose consciousness after a severe head or brain injury, but that is not always the case. Sometimes it can take days or weeks for your symptoms to appear.
- Spine damage: Sometimes, the symptoms of spine and spinal cord injuries take some time to manifest. If the spine is severely damaged, the spinal cord may begin bleeding or swelling in the days following your accident, worsening the condition to dangerous levels.
- Internal injuries: The force of motor vehicle accidents can cause internal injuries or bleeding that goes unnoticed at first. Many crash victims have suffered internal organ damage and even cracked ribs without realizing what has happened.
Do not refuse medical care after experiencing a vehicle accident. If it turns out that you have suffered severe injuries, you need medical attention immediately. Having an official record of your post-accident medical treatment can also improve your ability to acquire compensation in Virginia.
