No matter the severity of your car accident, it can leave a lasting effect both mentally and physically.
Whether it was a traumatic collision or a minor fender-bender, any amount of unnatural force can take a toll on your body, even if you feel perfectly fine after an accident.
More-often-than-not, many car accident victims fail to notice any sign of injury right away. It’s only in the weeks or months that pass that symptoms begin to appear. You could be left coping with pain after a car accident for weeks, months, or even years to come.
Recognizing Pain After a Car Accident
There are a number of factors that go into the type of injury you may have sustained from a car accident. Some of these include the speed of the collision, whether you were wearing a seatbelt, and if you had any prior conditions.
But the never the less, your first step in finding treatment for pain after a car accident is recognizing the signs of a potential injury.
Common symptoms that tend to crop up in the days, weeks or even months following a collision could include:
- Headaches- often caused by neck tension, concussion, and whiplash
- Post-traumatic stress disorder characterized by nightmares, anxiety, mood, and appetite changes
- Mood and behavior changes caused by a latent concussion
- Tingling or numbness in the extremities caused by a trapped or crushed nerve
- Abdominal pain and nausea caused by an internal injury and bleeding
- Swelling and stiffness caused by strained or sprained muscles
- Changes in hearing or tinnitus caused by PTSD, stress, or concussion
- Persistent back or neck pain caused by strained muscles or a pinched nerve
Even if you feel 100% fine after a car accident, it’s important to take note and document how you feel in the days and weeks following the collision.
This being said, what do you do once you begin to experience any of the above symptoms?
Can You Still Claim For Your Injuries?
Believe it or not, six weeks is the average recovery time following a car accident, even if it was minor. In this time you still have a chance to visit a no fault doctor and claim for your injuries if any crop up during this period.
Generally, you should see a doctor right away following a car accident. But if you didn’t get round to doing that, you still have a small window of time. However, the longer you wait to visit a doctor, the less chance you have of a validated claim.
If you wait too long to visit a doctor, an insurance adjuster has every right to argue that you couldn’t have been all that injured in the accident.
There’s No Need For an Immediate Settle
Bear in mind that you every right to hold off on signing any insurance claim release forms following a car accident.
You may be contacted by the other driver’s insurance company and even offered a sum of money to entice you to sign off the release. But you should only do this once you have been medically assessed.
Another reason why you should wait before signing this release is to give any latent injuries you may have a chance to manifest.
In essence, you waive your right to pursue medical compensation once that release form is signed!
If you do end making any sort of injury claim after a car accident, it’s imperative that you document any symptoms as well as every single doctor’s visit. You’ll have to provide a record that you sought treatment within a reasonable amount of time following an accident.
Find Local Experts For Your Personal Injury Case
If you’re experiencing pain after a car accident and need help building a personal injury case, explore this website to find the best attorney for your needs.
Browse by your state and find an experienced professional who can get you the medical compensation you deserve!