After being in a motor vehicle accident — particularly one that wasn’t your fault — it’s important to be able to assess the damage to your physical body, as well as any psychological harm that may have occurred as a result of the crash. It’s vital to visit an ER or see a doctor immediately even if there is little damage to your vehicle and you feel relatively okay. The adrenaline that surges through your body after a wreck can disguise many symptoms that can eventually turn into long-term issues.
Your Thoughts After a Crash
When a wreck occurs, you are likely to be shocked at first, and then you may feel annoyed. You may have an important meeting to get to at work or have some other important event where your presence is quite important. Of course, the first thing you must do is to call 911 and report the automobile accident. Then you usually have to wait for the police officers, ambulance, and possibly a tow truck to arrive. All this takes time that you didn’t allocate in your plans for the day. You may be frustrated and just want to get all the paperwork and interviews over with so that you can get back to your daily schedule.
It isn’t unusual to feel fairly good after an accident, except for a few bumps and bruises, a mild headache due to the stress, and some soreness. Often you will feel intense gratitude that the accident wasn’t much worse. It’s important to remember troubling symptoms can occur a few days or even several weeks after the accident. Don’t feel that it’s too late to consult a personal injury attorney just because it’s been a while since the incident occurred. Depending on where you live, the statute of limitations for reporting injuries that occurred from an automobile accident could be a year or two or up to several years.
Personal Injury Defined
A personal injury attorney assists an individual in recovering damages when the person suffers an injury that is due to the fault of another individual or party. This fault could be due to recklessness, carelessness or even neglect. The damages are intended to compensate the individual for the costs associated with medical care now and in the future, loss of wages, and even psychological trauma. It’s prudent to contact a personal injury attorney to assure that you receive full compensation for any injuries that occurred due to the accident. If you leave it up to your insurance company to battle it out with the person who was driving the other vehicle, you’re likely to receive far less compensation than if you hired an attorney who is familiar with all aspects of personal injury law. The insurance companies often won’t consider or even be aware of the possible long-term ramifications of your injuries.
Pay Attention to These Symptoms
After an automobile accident, many symptoms can show up days or even weeks after the accident and they can indicate more serious problems. Some of these symptoms include:
- Nausea or vomiting can indicate that you have a concussion or even an internal injury.
- Neck, back, wrist, knee or shoulder pain. This type of pain may mean that you have a fracture or severe sprain or tear in your muscle or the ligaments of your body.
- Soreness that lasts more than a few days.
- Dizziness or confusion can be indicative of a brain injury.
- Sensitivity to light or noise can affect your quality of life and may result in a long-term condition.
- Unusual drowsiness. This can be debilitating while at work or tragic if it causes another accident because you fell asleep while driving.
- Double vision or blurred vision can result from a head injury and can cause other accidents, such as falling.
- Headaches can be caused by a concussion or even a brain injury.
- Problems with balance can sometimes be caused by head injuries
- Symptoms of psychological trauma, such as nightmares, depression, increased stress, or insomnia can start long after the day of the accident. They may indicate that treatment is necessary to regain your quality of life.
- Any other unusual symptoms that don’t go away within a few days.
Actions to Take After a Crash
The actions you must take after being involved in an automobile accident of this type include:
- Go to your doctor to get checked out, or report to an emergency room if the accident occurs during the weekend or at night.
- Contact a Personal injury attorney who has experience with this type of litigation. He or she will be your advocate if the accident eventually results in a potentially pending lawsuit.
Seeking the advice of a personal injury attorney ensures that you will most likely receive appropriate compensation for the damages that resulted from this unfortunate incident. It’s always best to err on the side of caution when a personal injury is involved. This is because you have the assurance that they are looking out for your best interests.
