After a car accident, the rush of adrenaline and shock can mask the symptoms of even serious injuries. It is quite common for crash victims to feel relatively fine at the scene, only to wake up the next day with debilitating pain and stiffness.
Delayed onset injuries can affect your ability to recover compensation, as insurance companies may argue that your symptoms are unrelated to the accident. Seeking immediate and ongoing medical care, as well as working with a Kansas City car accident lawyer, can help protect your future claim.
Common Types of Delayed Onset Injuries
Delayed onset injuries develop hours or days after an accident, often when the body’s natural stress response subsides. These injuries can range from mild to severe and may worsen without proper treatment:
- Whiplash and Neck Injuries: Your neck experiences severe strain during the rapid back-and-forth movement caused by a collision, leading to tissue damage that becomes increasingly painful over time.
- Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury: You may experience cognitive symptoms like memory problems, difficulty concentrating, or headaches days after the accident occurred.
- Herniated Discs: The trauma from a collision can cause spinal discs to slip out of place or rupture, resulting in nerve compression and radiating pain that develops gradually.
- Internal Bleeding: You might not immediately notice internal bleeding, but it can cause dizziness, fainting, and abdominal pain. As blood loss continues, internal damage can be fatal.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Your muscles, ligaments, and tendons can sustain microscopic tears that become increasingly painful as inflammation develops in the days following the crash.
Signs and Symptoms to Look for After a Car Accident
You should seek medical attention immediately after any collision, regardless of how you feel. Even if you have already been examined, return to your doctor if you notice any new symptoms. These may include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Vision changes
- Ringing in ears
- Neck pain
- Shoulder stiffness
- Back pain
- Numbness
- Tingling sensations
- Abdominal pain
- Memory problems
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Nausea
How to Protect Your Rights with a Delayed Injury
Delayed onset injuries are common after a car accident, but they can make recovering compensation very complex. Insurance companies often argue that injuries appearing after the accident must have been caused by something else, or that your failure to report symptoms immediately indicates that these injuries are less serious than you claim.
A car accident lawyer can help you counter these challenges and prove your right to compensation. Your lawyer will gather medical documentation proving the connection between the accident and your delayed symptoms and consult with medical experts who can testify about the typical progression of these injuries. They will also handle all communication with insurance adjusters, preventing you from making statements that could harm your case.
Don’t Wait to Seek Help—Contact an Attorney Today
Late-appearing symptoms can have a major impact on your case, but legal representation can help you overcome these obstacles. An attorney will establish the timeline of your injury development and fight against insurance companies that attempt to minimize the connection between your accident and delayed symptoms.
Dollar, Burns, Becker and Hershewe can help you document and present evidence of your delayed onset injuries. With over 100 years of combined legal experience and more than $1 billion recovered for clients, our injury attorneys in Kansas City know how to protect your interests when unexpected complications arise. Contact us at (816) 876-2600 to speak with a Kansas City car accident lawyer and begin building your case today.