Car accidents come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes, the resulting personal injuries are obvious, even to the untrained eye. In these instances, emergency medical personnel are called to the scene to diagnose and stabilize the injured. The victims are then transported to the hospital where they receive emergency treatment and appropriate follow-up care.
However, there are also accidents that do not appear, at least at first blush, to cause obvious injuries. In fact, some people involved in crashes with automobiles and semi-trucks refuse medical evaluation and treatment, believing that they are just “sore,” but not otherwise injured.
Sometimes they’re right, and everything works out fine. But unfortunately, sometimes they are wrong, having sustained serious injuries of which they are simply not aware.
If you’re experiencing new pains or feeling sick after a car accident, don’t brush it off. You may have sustained serious injuries that need treatment – and possibly entitle you to damages if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim.
In this article, we’ll discuss some symptoms you should never ignore if you are involved in an accident with another automobile or a tractor-trailer truck.
Five Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore After an Accident
1. Stomach and/or Abdominal Pain
Stomach or abdominal pain may not sound like a typical symptom from a car wreck, but it shouldn’t be ignored. Pain in the stomach or abdomen can be a sign of internal bleeding or injury. It’s especially important to seek immediate medical attention if your stomach pain is accompanied by dizziness and/or large bruises.
2. Shoulder and Neck Pain and Stiffness
The head and neck can snap forward and backward dramatically in a motor vehicle crash. Even at low speeds, classic cases of whiplash injury can result. Sometimes, the pain is not felt until some days after the original collision. Proper diagnosis of the cause of the pain can require appropriate technological techniques, such as MRI scans and CT scans.
3. Back Pain
Like shoulder and neck pain, back pain can result immediately after an accident, or in some cases may not be felt for days. The pain may signal a soft tissue injury, but it can also be a symptom of disc herniation or even a spinal injury.
4. Behavioral or Personality Changes
When we think of injuries related to an automobile wreck, we typically worry about broken bones, bleeding, and other outwardly obvious injuries. But what if you or a loved one shows signs of personality and behavioral changes?
Maybe there is suddenly sadness, depression, anger, or other personality manifestations not previously observed. These changes are important and could be signs of a concussion or brain injury. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious injury and motor vehicle collisions are the third highest cause of TBI. The sooner TBI can be diagnosed, the better.
5. Numbness or Tingling
Numbness and tingling can signal a variety of injury problems. Sometimes, for example, hands and arms may feel numb as the result of whiplash injuries. Tingling or numbness can result from pinched nerves and herniated discs.
Feeling Sick After an Accident? See a Doctor ASAP
It’s completely understandable that some people do not seek immediate medical treatment following a motor vehicle accident. After all, adrenaline kicks into high gear and a victim may not immediately see any outward manifestations of injury.
However, medical professionals will warn you that this lack of visible injury by no means guarantees that you are uninjured. If you experience delayed symptoms, changes in mood or behavior, or are otherwise feeling sick after an accident, prudence dictates that you immediately seek the opinion of a medical professional. The sooner you learn of an injury, the sooner you can obtain proper treatment. And with many injuries, early intervention improves the odds of an improved recovery.
Call with Questions
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with an automobile or a semi-truck, we know you probably have lots of questions. Please call and we will be happy to answer them for you. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Nelson MacNeil Rayfield have been assisting injured victims all across Oregon for many years. We believe that holding negligent drivers accountable is imperative to ensure that everyone in Oregon’s motoring public remains as safe as possible.