Even if you don’t feel pain or discomfort immediately following your accident, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you were not injured. Accident victims sometimes don’t feel any pain for several hours, days, or even weeks after the accident.
Unfortunately, waiting to see a doctor not only puts you at risk of developing worsening pain and exacerbating your injuries, but it could also make it more difficult to recover damages. Click here to read more about how a personal injury attorney can help you recover the financial losses you suffered as a result of your car crash.
Why did I feel fine after the accident but then got worse?
The human body has a defense mechanism to help us keep going in stressful situations even after we have been injured so that we can make it to safety. This is called stress-induced analgesia or the “fight or flight” response, which is a neurological reaction to stress that triggers the production of adrenaline and masks pain so that you can stay focused on your survival. Even hairline fractures in the skull or ribs can be masked by adrenaline.
Over time, these injuries can become life-threatening. Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most common and dangerous injuries after a car accident that can start with mild symptoms, such as a headache. With the brain-injured, however, those injuries can worsen and lead to a concussion, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, psychological disturbances, or even coma.
A particularly prevalent problem is when victims of minor car accidents think they’re okay and resist seeing a doctor for a professional medical evaluation. Unfortunately, they may not do anything about it until it’s too late when the injury has gotten much worse.
Monitor Yourself Daily
It’s important to be paying attention to your body after your accident. Keep a daily diary of your symptoms, any pain you feel on a scale of 1 to 10, and whether you’ve noticed cognitive changes, such as memory problems.
Who will pay for my medical expenses?
One of the reasons why people don’t see a doctor after their accident is because medical costs are high. Most people will avoid seeing a doctor as long as they can to save money. With a personal injury case, though, you have the right to recover your financial losses from the liable party under the law so that ultimately they are paying your medical bills, not you. In order to file a personal injury claim, you must show damages.
It is highly recommended to seek out a personal injury attorney. Using your medical records, the police report, and other evidence, they will build a strong case for the opposing party’s negligence. With an attorney taking over your case, you can trust that your claim is in good hands and can spend more time focusing on your health and recovery.
What types of damages can I be eligible to receive?
In addition to having your medical expenses covered by the liable party, you can also recover lost wages, future lost earning potential, damage to your vehicle, and other tangible losses. Pain and suffering are types of non-economic damages that compensate you for the emotional distress and mental anguish that the accident caused you.
