Common Delayed Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident

Common delayed injury symptoms following a car accident include headaches, pain, nausea, numbness, dizziness, and memory loss. Seeking medical treatment as soon as possible after a car accident is vital because these symptoms might not present right away and could take days—even weeks—to appear. 

Our Central Florida car accident lawyers urge you to see a doctor after a car accident, even if you believe you don’t have an injury. Not all injuries are immediately apparent, so we want you to know the common delayed injury symptoms after a car crash.

Injuries That Can Feature Delayed Symptoms

No matter the severity of the accident, you could sustain injuries you won’t know about until a doctor diagnoses you or you begin experiencing symptoms that you cannot easily explain the source.

Injuries that typically have delayed symptoms include:

• Brain injuries: Concussions, skull fractures, contusions, and hematomas could take time to manifest symptoms.
• Whiplash: It might take several hours or days for stiffness or soreness following a neck injury caused by a sudden and violent forward and backward movement of the head. 
• Back injuries: You might not feel the onset of pain from strains, muscle pulls, muscle tears, and slipped discs until after the adrenalin of a crash wears off.
• Spinal cord injuries: Lacerations and bruising can result in full or partial paralysis, either temporarily or permanently.
• Mental and emotional trauma: Unseen injuries, including PTSD, nightmares, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Internal injuries: You could have organ damage or internal bleeding that only MRI studies or CT scans can discover.

What Injury Symptoms Are Commonly Delayed After a Car Accident?

As severe as some injuries are, it could take hours, days, or even weeks before you begin showing symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms after a car accident, no matter how long it’s been since the accident, please see your doctor immediately:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Abdominal pain
• Stiff muscles
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood swings
• Behavior changes
• Light and noise sensitivity
• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Vision problems
• Fatigue
• Numbness

At first glance, many of these symptoms seem like signs of minor health issues. However, if you have recently been in a car accident, these symptoms could be signs of a severe injury, and we urge you to see a doctor. Immediately identifying your injury can prevent it from worsening and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

What Should You Do After Suffering an Injury in a Car Crash?

While it may not be apparent that you have an injury, you can take these steps after a collision to protect your health and begin building a personal injury case for compensation.

• Get yourself to safety: Car accident scenes are unsafe and put you at risk of suffering additional injuries such as burns. Other traffic also poses a threat. Thus, you should find a safe place if you can do so.
• Call 911: You need help right away after an accident, and so does anyone else involved in the accident, whether it’s other drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. You or someone else should call 911 so the police and EMTs can arrive. The police will write a report that you can request for your records.
• Seek medical treatment: You should seek medical treatment from an EMT or go to the hospital so doctors can give you a complete checkup. Your doctor can run tests to diagnose an injury and treat it. Additionally, prompt treatment can prevent injuries from worsening and reverse damage. Finally, your doctor will document your injuries and treatments, providing more evidence supporting your case.
• Collect evidence: If you can, gather evidence at the crash scene, such as photographs and contact information for witnesses and first responders.
• Consult a personal injury lawyer: A personal injury lawyer from our firm in Central Florida has experience handling car accident cases. We will provide you with legal options to consider. If you hire us, we will investigate the accident, determine liability, calculate the value of your claim, collect evidence, negotiate a settlement, and file a lawsuit if necessary. We will protect your rights and work on a contingency fee basis.

Is There a Deadline to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Car Accident?

According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for damages through the legal process. Should you miss this deadline, the liable party will likely file a motion to dismiss your case, and a judge probably will do so unless you get an extension due to extenuating circumstances.

We recommend consulting a lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. You don’t need to wait until injuries manifest. Instead, immediately contacting us gives us time to investigate and build your case so that we can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Then, if we can’t settle your claim, we’ll have sufficient time to take your case to court.

Our law firm takes the statute of limitations seriously. Thus, we will meet all deadlines, so you retain your right to file a lawsuit to get the accountability and compensation you deserve.

Learn More About Common Delayed Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident Today

Dismuke Law handles personal injury cases and represents victims of car accidents, including those who experience delayed injury symptoms, only to discover they have a severe injury and didn’t realize it. Catastrophic injuries like concussions and spinal cord injuries will worsen if you do not receive medical treatment. That’s why receiving a complete medical evaluation immediately after an accident is best.

Our Central Florida team is ready to discuss your case. You have nothing to lose by seeing if we can help you. If you hire us to handle your claim, you will pay nothing unless we win and recover compensation for you. So, contact us today to get started.