After being involved in a car accident, you may feel a little sore but otherwise fine. This can give you a false sense of security, which may cause you to skip a medical evaluation.
Unfortunately, this could be a huge mistake. There are several car accident injuries that can take hours, days or even longer to appear. If you don’t seek medical treatment right away, they may have the chance to become severe and even life-threatening. Some of the most common injuries that don’t always show up right away can be found here.
1. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Concussions occur when your head is jolted in a car accident. This movement can also cause other brain injuries. Common symptoms of a potential concussion or other TBI include mental fogginess, focus issues, dizziness, fatigue, headaches and more.
2. Spinal injuries
Being involved in a car accident may damage or injure your spine, too. This damage may occur to the spinal cord, nerves, soft connective tissues, spinal discs or vertebrae. If you begin to experience pain and numbness in the spine, it’s a sign of a delayed injury from your car accident.
3. Soft tissue injuries
Contusions, strains and sprains can occur if your soft tissues are injured, torn or stretched when you are in a car accident. Some of the most common symptoms that this has occurred include reduced range of motion, pain, muscle spasms, tenderness and swelling.
Along with resulting in more serious injuries and problems, delaying medical treatment after a car accident may make it harder to prove that your injury occurred because of the accident. Even if you feel fine, it’s always best to seek medical treatment right away.