Delayed Neck Pain After Your Car Crash?
Car accident victims can experience delayed pain from even the most common car accident injuries. For instance, you can experience pain from your muscles that become stretched, swollen, or torn during the accident. These types of injuries can interfere with your ability to perform your regular tasks and routines. This can affect your mobility, livelihood, and even your overall lifestyle.
It’s wise to take precautions a few days or weeks after your car accident, even if there were no visible or obvious injuries. Not all injuries from car accidents show symptoms immediately and it’s tantamount that you know what signs to look for so you can be sure not to cause yourself more harm.
Here are some basic information you need to know about delayed pain and the common types of car accident injuries:
What to Do Right After a Car Accident Injury
Your safety is your top priority. Generally, you must assess your car accident injury and err on the side of caution in terms of possible injuries right after your accident. According to the California Department of Insurance, you must only move if it’s safe to do so. However, you must also consider important information you must take note of. If you get into an accident and sustain an injury, here are steps you need to take:
- Stop your car immediately
- Move your car to a safe location, if possible
- Call an ambulance if anyone is injured
- Call the police to complete a crash report
- Exchange information with the other drivers
- Get contact information from any witnesses
- Take pictures to supplement your evidence file
Of course, this may change depending on the situation. You can read this article to get more details about what must be done at the scene of the accident. You can also read this for information about what you must do during the days after the car accident.
What Delayed Pain Injuries Can Occur From a Car Accident?
You can experience symptoms of delayed pain injuries after an accident. They can happen anywhere on your body, according to the mechanism of injury from the car accident. Here are some symptoms you must watch out for after the car accident:
- Dizziness
- Nausea, which can lead to vomiting
- Numbness
- Apparent behavioral and emotional changes
- Severe disorientation or confusion
- Loss of memory and fainting
These symptoms can happen at the car accident scene or even weeks later. They can be linked to different injuries, including delayed pain injuries. Here are some of the most common delayed pain car accident injuries:
Headaches
These can happen many days after the incident. You might think they’re serious, but they can stem from severe issues like blood clots, neck, or head injuries.
Whiplash
This is one of the most common delayed pain injuries you can get from a car accident. It’s usually common with rear-end collisions. However, this car accident injury can become serious, which requires extensive medical treatment. Whiplash can also cause numbness in your arms or hands, possibly indicating neck or spinal column damage.
Back Pain
This can usually be caused by injuries to muscles, ligaments, or nerves in your back. However, this can also originate from vertebrae damage. If you experience delayed back pain after an accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Read this to learn more about back pain injuries.
Pain or Swelling in the Abdomen
Injuries to your abdomen can stem from internal bleeding. They can appear as bruises, but can also cause dizziness or feeling faint. Even internal bleeding can go undiscovered for days, so make sure to pay attention to this type of injury.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD si considered as a car accident injury. People with this condition relive the accident through vivid memories or nightmares. However, treatment for PTSD can vary depending on the victim. If you think you got PTSD from an accident, consult a specialist as soon as you can. You can learn more about this car accident injury here.
How Can Delayed Pain Injuries Affect Your Claim?
Getting treatment for delayed pain can increase your medical costs. However, you can get compensation if they’re included in your claim. Take note that you can only do that if you get your delayed pain treated as soon as possible. If you delay medical care, you might encounter difficulty proving the link between your pain and the accident. In fact, you must receive medical treatment for your delayed pain injuries within days or weeks from the accident.
This can help increase the chance of getting your medical costs included in your claim. If you delay your treatment too much, you might need to pay out of your pocket. Also, delayed pain can reveal other serious injuries caused by the accident, so you might end up with more medical expenses. Likewise, you might require multiple expensive tests to help diagnose your injury. If you want to get your insurance claim to cover these costs, seek medical attention as soon as you can.
Does Health Insurance Cover Car Accident Injuries?
Your health insurance can cover your car accident injury. However, it might not be the first option if you have car insurance options. Implications may change according to your health insurance policy’s terms. Some might have restrictions on what can be covered.
Others might have a clause stating that your health insurance can only be used as a “secondary” option. Also, it might not be able to cover all of your treatments, depending on the injuries you’ve sustained. But the good news is you can use it if you don’t have other insurance options.
The average settlement for car accident back and neck injury can vary depending on your injury and treatment. Your car insurance and health insurance might be able to cover your costs. However, you might need to pay certain amounts out of your pocket, depending on indications in your coverage.
Should I Get a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Car Accident?
Many legal professionals will recommend consulting a personal injury lawyer after a car accident. This is even more beneficial if you’ve sustained injuries from the incident. In terms of timing, you can get in touch with a lawyer sometime after receiving medical treatment before contacting your insurance provider. By doing this, you can feel confident that a professional is going to help you receive the rightful compensation you deserve.
Insurance companies have teams of specialists who’ll work to protect their company’s interests. This means they’ll find ways to pay out as little as possible. However, you can counter that by getting legal counsel from a good personal injury lawyer. They can help provide you with an advantage, so you can get the highest amount possible. Although, some cases may not require a personal injury lawyer. You can get more information about this topic here.
Dealing with Car Accidents and Injury Claims
After getting an injury from an accident, you might not have the energy to deal with insurance claims. Instead, you need to stay focused on healing and getting better. However, filing a claim and sorting out documents are crucial to receiving compensation. Luckily, personal injury lawyers can help you out.
They can help uphold your rights, privileges, and take you through the process from start to finish. They can help you pinpoint factors that are usually hidden in the accident scene. Consulting a good lawyer can give you a better chance at a higher compensation. You can read more about accident lawyers here.
If you’re looking for a skilled and experienced accident attorney, look no further than Jacoby and Meyers. We have a team of the best personal injury or auto accident lawyers in California, including Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Sacramento. Hire one of our car accident lawyers to help you get justice. Also, they can help you get the compensation you rightfully deserve, including car accident settlements and more. In addition, they can help you:
- Prove negligence
- Define the Cost of Damages
- Build a strong claim
- Negotiate a Settlement
- Proceed with important deadlines in mind
Give us a call today at 888-960-0480 for a free consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you.
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