You’re driving down the road on a sunny afternoon, and suddenly you’re struck from behind. Life can change in an instant when it comes to car accidents. In fact, hospitals see a high percentage of patients that come from motor-vehicle accidents alone, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. You may feel fine right after a minor accident, which tempts you to skip the doctor’s appointment. However, it’s imperative for you to see a medical professional as soon as possible. There is the real possibility of several common delayed injuries that can cause significant problems in your life. If you do have problems from the accident and require legal assistance, it can greatly benefit your case to have the assessment of a medical professional who has examined you after the incident.
Your Vital Signs
Feeling fine doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re truly healthy. Any number of problems can be brewing inside of your body after a traumatic car accident. Your doctor will take your vital signs as a preliminary measure to look for abnormalities. Although your blood pressure and temperature may not seem like important indicators of injury, they do provide clues. Low blood pressure might indicate internal bleeding within the body. High body temperatures can point to inflammation or infection. Dealing with these ailments right away will only reduce the seriousness of the situation. You will feel these effects later on without a doctor’s help.
Emerging Pains
Some accidents seem too minor to worry about, such as being tapped on the bumper by a driver texting on a phone. However, the forces involved in an auto accident can be strong on the body and can cause tearing or unnatural bending of joints, muscles and connective tissues. You might experience headaches, back pain or neck soreness. The neck snaps forward and backward, which affects the spine and brain. Your brain can be damaged by impact even if you didn’t hit your head in the accident. This is due to momentum as the brain impacts the inside of the skull when the body comes under a sudden stopping force during an impact. Feeling fine today may be short-lived in some cases and you may develop short term or long term injuries or disabilities even if they are not immediately apparent. See your doctor and describe any minor issues involving your body and allow them to properly diagnose you. These pains can become chronic problems if they aren’t addressed. Whiplash is one of the most common injuries that is not always severe at first, but which can become a long term source of chronic pain.
Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is common in car accidents because the body goes can be put under very strong forces of impact and sudden changes in momentum which can cause traumatic injury. Cuts and scrapes are easily identified because they are visible, but an internal organ bleeding or damaged is not easy to diagnose from a glance. It’s possible to feel fine with some internal bleeding immediately after the accident if the bleeding is minor. However, the blood can continue to flow, leading to potentially serious problems. You might go into shock or pass out. It’s possible to succumb to internal bleeding when you aren’t under a doctor’s care and have not been properly medically examined. Be frank with your medical professional so that you can have every test to find any internal bleeding.
Mental Issues
According to Dr. Alex Bigham, mental issues can also arise after an accident. You may be physically fine, but the crash created a frightening scenario in your mind. Nightmares, flashbacks and other problems plague your life. If the accident never occurred, you wouldn’t have this form of PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. Visit your doctor several times if these visions continue to interrupt your life. Dealing with PTSD on your own is incredibly difficult. Psychological help will move you past this problem in time.
Figuring Out the Next Steps
After determining a diagnosis with your doctor, you need to consider the next steps in your recovery. If the car accident wasn’t your fault, it makes sense to ask for your medical bills to be covered by the offending driver. This delicate subject is best brought up by a car-accident lawyer. These professionals can mediate the discussions between the two parties so that a reasonable solution can be found. Regaining your health is the priority at this point.
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