In This Article

Overview

A car accident is a stressful occurrence, leaving all drivers and passengers in a state of shock. Immediately after an accident, adrenaline flows through your veins.

What Symptoms to Look Out For After a Car Accident
What Symptoms After Car Accident?

Unfortunately, pain and injury are sometimes completely masked by these hormones. Often injuries only become apparent in the following days or even months to the victim once the hormones have worn off and symptoms appear.

In 2017 there were approximately 7,500 car accidents per day in which injuries were sustained.[1] If you suspect you have been injured, go to see a doctor and undergo a complete examination.

Do I need a lawyer?

If you have any injuries and are considering a claim, appoint an experienced and skilled car accident lawyer to represent your interests. It is essential to do this as soon as possible and definitely before you sign any settlement or release agreements presented to you by any insurance companies.

Attorney Stewart J. Guss is one such lawyer. Located in Houston and serving the greater Houston area, Stewart Guss has an excellent track record of winning the compensation his clients deserve.

Since he’s been handling these types of cases for 20+ years, he knows a thing or two about what kind of injuries and symptoms you might expect after having been in a car accident. He provided us with the following list of what to expect physically after a car accident?.[2]

Common symptoms after car accident

Injuries can range from minor to severe. If you suffer from any pain, it may be an idea to consult a pain expert, especially if the pain is persistent. The most common car accident injuries symptoms include:

Spinal cord Injuries
These injuries are severe and could lead to long-term complications and exorbitant costs. In addition, back pain can be extreme and lead to severe discomfort.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Commonly known as concussions, these injuries result from the brain moving violently due to the force of the collision. The brain then makes contact with the skull. TBIs can cause all manner of complications and can even be life-threatening. Common symptoms include blurred or double vision, sensitivity to light or noise, mood changes, sleep pattern changes, and nausea and headaches.

Crush Injuries and Amputations
The violence of the crash can cause severe crush injuries, which may result in amputations.

Soft Tissue Injuries
Damage to muscle fibers, ligaments, and joints from being suddenly overstretched often manifests long after the accident.

The most common injury is whiplash. Caused when the head and neck are violently thrown forward and then snapped backward. This can present as stiff and sore muscles, blurred or double vision, fatigue, dizziness, pain in the neck and shoulders, and an inability to move the neck properly.

Orthopedic Injuries
Orthopedic injuries include any injury to the musculoskeletal system and are often a result of an accident or trauma to the body.[3] These injuries would typically be quite obvious, but are not always.

Less Obvious Symptoms you should be on the lookout for include:

Back Pain
Sometimes back pain surfaces within a few days or even weeks from the time of the accident. You should monitor yourself and be aware that this may be the result of the accident.

Numbness or Tingling
Should you notice any numbness or tingling within the weeks following an accident, you should get this checked out by your doctor and try to ascertain whether the symptom is probably related to the accident.

Headaches
Headaches are a common symptom post car accidents and may indicate something more serious such as a traumatic brain injury. Again get this checked by a medical doctor, especially if the headaches are getting worse or are not going away.

Personality and Mood Changes
Listen to your close friends and family. They may pick up sudden mood swings and personality changes shortly after the accident. This could be the symptom of a traumatic brain injury so get it checked out.

Neck Pain and Stiffness
Whiplash injuries are commonly only experienced the day after the car accident. Be conscious that even though you felt fine after the accident, neck pains and stiffness are probably related to the whiplash action of the accident and should also be checked out.

Abdominal Pain
Pain in your stomach can be indicative of internal injuries and should not be ignored. Internal bleeding can be life-threatening. Therefore, it’s always better to get a medical opinion early.

Conclusion

Since some car accident symptoms will only appear well after the date of the accident, you should be mindful to assess whether any symptoms are linked to the accident.[4] Medical reports are your proof and should be filed for later use.

It goes without saying that a good car accident lawyer could prove to be the difference between obtaining a healthy award and settling for an award that is insufficient and may end up costing you for a long time, well after the award has been spent.

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We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

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Dr. Keith Kantor

Dr. Kantor has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Science and has been an advocate of natural food and healthy living for 30 years. He is also on t