February 15, 2024

The “Invisible Injuries” Caused by Auto Accidents

After an Illinois car accident, it is not uncommon for those involved to downplay their injuries or forego medical treatment. But this usually causes more pain in the long run.

Invisible Injuries & Delayed Symptoms after a Crash

Even if you walk away from a collision without scrapes, bruises, broken bones, or visible blood, don’t assume you’re uninjured. Some symptoms of car accident injuries may not manifest for hours or days afterward. But once these invisible injuries are known, they may be painful,  life-threatening, or incapacitating.

Here’s more about delayed symptoms and invisible injuries after auto accidents and how they affect compensation. You should get immediate medical attention and consult an Illinois car accident lawyer to protect your health and strengthen your car accident claim.

What Are Invisible Injuries or Delayed Symptoms?

These are injuries not immediately noticeable after a car accident. Unlike visible cuts, bruises, or broken bones, some injuries sustained in an auto accident may not show symptoms until a few hours, days, or weeks later.

Delayed symptoms typically occur due to two reasons. First, the symptoms of an injury may be hidden by the adrenaline rush that follows a shocking event like a car crash. Secondly, symptoms may not show up right away in internal injuries.

Hidden injuries after a car accident include:

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when the head is violently jerked backward and forward, particularly with a rear-end collision. The rapid movement may result in ligament, soft tissue, and muscle injuries. While you may experience headaches and pain immediately, most whiplash symptoms take hours or days to appear.

Head injuries

Traumatic brain injuries and concussions can result from head injuries sustained in a car accident. Even though symptoms might not show up right away, traumatic brain injury is a severe condition that, if left untreated, can impair brain function and cause long-lasting damage.

Internal injuries

Internal injuries and bleeding can result from a strong hit or jolt sustained in a vehicle accident. Although it might not be evident right away, internal bleeding can be life-threatening. After a collision, look out for nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, pale complexion, and blood in the urine.

Back injuries

Despite their seriousness, spine injuries are not usually immediately visible. A common early injury is low back pain a few hours or days after. Numbness or paralysis may progressively set in if there is swelling and bleeding in or around your spinal cord.

Nerve damage

Injuries during a car accident can cause damage to many nerves. Nerve injury can greatly impact your quality of life since normal nerve function is necessary for day-to-day activities. Nerve injuries can cause pain, numbness, and temporary or permanent disability.

How Delayed Symptoms Affect Illinois Accident Claims

If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you have legal rights to compensation, regardless of when you start having symptoms. But to receive full compensation, you must ensure that all of the injuries you experienced are assessed.

How To Handle Invisible Injuries

After an auto accident, it’s important to prioritize protecting your health and legal rights by receiving medical attention as quickly as possible.

Afterward, if you have any health concerns, you should consult a doctor and describe all your current symptoms. This holds true whether or not you see a doctor right after your accident.

The sooner you consult a doctor, the more valuable your medical records will be when pursuing a car accident claim since they will show the source of your injuries.

Finally, talk to a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney can help with the documentation needed and deal with the insurers on your behalf.

How Do I Prove My Injuries Were Caused by an Accident?

Gathering proof to back up your injury claim is crucial in filing a claim for damages following a vehicle accident.  Even if you feel OK after the accident, you should be checked out by a doctor immediately to collect evidence. Your physician will know your accident-related symptoms and your medical records will reflect the incident.

If you start experiencing pain in the upcoming days or weeks, the defendant cannot claim that an unconnected injury caused your discomfort.

Additional proof to support your claims includes the police records from the collision and the testimonies of friends, family, and other witnesses. You might also record any other post-accident symptoms you notice in a journal.

A Lawyer Can Help with Delayed & Invisible Car Accident Injures

Even while you have obvious legal rights, exercising them could be more challenging if you have ‘invisible’ injuries or your symptoms take longer to show. Although injuries with delayed symptoms are covered by insurance, you should anticipate a legal battle; insurance companies usually contest liability.

It takes the expertise of an Illinois car accident lawyer to demonstrate that the car accident was the sole cause of your current health condition and not a previous injury or a chronic sickness.

You can increase your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve by working with an experienced Illinois car accident lawyer to assist you in claiming your legal rights.  Your attorney will investigate your accident, establish a strong case for you, negotiate with insurance companies, and handle a lawsuit if necessary.

Did a Car Accident Cause Delayed Injuries? Call Staver Today

The Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. team can assist you in pursuing the compensation you deserve if you suffer delayed symptoms of injuries sustained from an Illinois car accident.

Our skills and decades of experience have assisted clients in pursuing settlements worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We can help you with your Illinois accident claim so that you can focus on your recovery and get your life back. Go online to contact us or call (888) 988-7612 to arrange your free consultation today.