How Long After a Car Accident Can Injuries Appear?

After a car accident, injuries can appear days, weeks, or even months later. What started as a barely noticeable pain can reveal itself as a bone fracture that gets worse and worse. When a full break eventually occurs, it can be difficult to connect to the accident. This is why you should always get a thorough medical check-up after an accident. 

If you’ve been injured in an accident and need to find the best car accident lawyer in Phoenix, look no further than Gage Mathers. We have helped car crash victims recover millions of dollars in medical fees, lost wages, and pain and suffering. 

Just because you are visibly okay on the outside doesn’t mean injuries aren’t lurking underneath. This post will look at common car accident injuries and the consequences of waiting to see a doctor. 

Deceptive Injuries

Immediately after an accident, victims are often in shock and filled with adrenaline. Your body’s fight or flight response is on full alert, and you may not feel any pain whatsoever. This adrenaline rush will often lessen within twenty to thirty minutes. This is when people may start to feel pain, but the effects can last an hour or more. 

Within this window of time, an ambulance may have arrived and you may have declined to visit the hospital because you felt fine. 

Soft Tissue Injuries

Muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries are common in car accidents. Whiplash, which occurs when your head is slammed forward or thrown backward, is a common injury. Even if it breaks no bones, whiplash can cause serious injury to soft tissues. 

Most people tense their bodies before impact if they see an accident is about to happen. This can make injuries worse–tight muscles are violently wrenched free despite trying to hold on. Because of this, muscles can be pulled, torn, or strained. If you don’t commonly use the injured muscle, you may feel no pain at all. After arriving home and sleeping it off, you might awake to a body filled with aches and pains. 

Bone Injuries

Hairline fractures or tiny breaks in bones may feel like bruising. Without an x-ray and a comprehensive medical exam, it might be impossible to tell if anything is broken. 

As the bone is used and repeatedly stressed over weeks or months, the fracture can become larger. If the pain continues, the victim may finally visit the hospital, but because it’s so long after the accident, the cause may not be realized. 

Internal Injuries

Internal injuries can be the most dangerous. Seat belts that save lives can also injure people in a serious accident. The same is true for objects flying around the car. Organs can get crushed, blood vessels can rupture, and internal bleeding is not uncommon. Unfortunately, the symptoms of these injuries can mimic other mild conditions. 

What starts as a headache can later be found to be a blood clot. Nausea may turn out to be internal bleeding. Kidney damage can manifest as a back spasm. Many of these injuries can be fatal if not addressed.

Consequences of Waiting

A full fracture is far more difficult to mend than a hairline fracture. Months of using a damaged bone or muscle can seriously worsen an injury, meaning treatment costs can skyrocket. If scar tissue has built up, options may be limited. Full or partial disability can be a consequence of not getting immediate treatment, but medical risks aren’t the only consequence of waiting. 

How much your settlement for a car accident is can also be damaged by waiting to see a doctor. In the case of a fracture that occurs months after an accident, it may be impossible to tie it to the accident. If you had gotten a full medical checkup after the accident, you might have the evidence you need. This is true even if they missed the hairline fracture and sent you home thinking you were fine. Once the larger fracture emerges, doctors can take a second look and connect the two events. 

The Help You Need

In summary, always get a full medical check-up after any car accident–it may end up saving you hundreds of thousands of dollars. You should also contact a personal injury attorney from Gage Mathers after a car accident. We can advise you on next steps and what to ask the doctor when receiving documentation!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 23 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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