After a car accident, some injuries are immediately obvious such as broken bones or open wounds, while others may not appear until days or weeks after the collision. Additionally, some injuries are ‘hidden,’ such as a brain injury, which can be difficult to diagnose without the appropriate medical tests.
If you are worried about how long after a car accident injuries can appear, seeking medical attention as soon as possible can help diagnose any slow-to-surface health conditions, saving you undue worry and dangerous health complications. A medical diagnosis can also strengthen your compensation claim as it links your injury to the collision – a vital part of proving liability in auto accident injury cases.
Hidden Injuries to Watch Out For After a Car Accident in Georgia
Being hurt in a car accident is a traumatic experience. Serious injuries can have a debilitating impact on your home life and ability to work. However, pursuing compensation in Georgia requires you to prove the other driver is liable for your financial damages. This involves showing how their actions caused the accident and that you suffered injuries and other financial losses due to their negligence behind the wheel.
While the legal process can be fairly straightforward in some cases, claims involving ‘hidden injuries’ can be more challenging to resolve. However, these injuries can have a significant and long-lasting effect on your life if untreated. Let’s look at some of these types of injuries and their symptoms so you know what to look out for if you are involved in a car accident.
Brain and Neck Injuries
The force of the impact in a car accident can cause a range of hidden injuries, such as whiplash or a concussion, that are not immediately apparent or painful. You may develop symptoms over the days and weeks following an auto collision which gradually worsen over time, such as:
- ‘Brain fog’ or confusion
- Blurred vision
- Changes to your sleep pattern
- Changes in your ability to taste or smell things
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Irritability, anxiousness, depression, or other unusual mood swings
- Nausea or vomiting
- Neck pain, stiffness, or tenderness in the shoulder or upper back
- Problems concentrating or remembering things
- Ringing in the ears
- Seizures
- Tingling or numbness in the arms
- Unusual fatigue
Whiplash or a concussion can be diagnosed with imaging testing such as MRI scans, CT scans, or physical exams to test balance, strength, vision, coordination, and reflexes. If you experience seizures, your doctor may conduct an electroencephalogram test to monitor brain waves.
Back Injuries
Your body works hard to protect you in a car accident; adrenaline and endorphins are released as a reaction to shock which can mask back injuries such as herniated disks or inflammation around the spinal cord. However, warning signs can include:
- Pain in the lower back, buttocks, thighs, or calf
- Numbness or tingling in the body
- Muscle weakness
Hidden back injuries can be diagnosed with spinal imaging, lumbar MRIs, CT scans, and physical exams.
Internal Organ Damage
Due to the force of impact in a car accident, internal organs that may have hidden injuries include the kidney, liver, intestines, abdomen, lungs, and heart. Again, symptoms may take a while to appear and can include:
- Acute visual problems
- Chest pain
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea or vomiting
- Numbness
- Passing out
- Severe abdominal pain
- Severe headache
- Severe weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness on one side of the body
Your doctor may use tests such as ultrasound, X-ray, CT scans, or MRI scans to diagnose internal organ damage such as slow bleeds, ruptured organs, or muscle or tendon tears.
Emotional Trauma
Anyone involved in a car accident can suffer from both physical and emotional trauma to the body. Disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks can disrupt your everyday life and ability to work for a long time if untreated, so it is essential to seek medical treatment if you are experiencing symptoms such as:
- Depression, anxiety, anger, negative thoughts, and other mood swings
- Distress reactions from ‘triggers’ that remind you of the accident
- Flashbacks
- Lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Recurring distressing memories of the car accident
- Self-destructive behavior
- Sleeping or eating disorders
- Social isolation
- Trouble concentrating or remembering things
If your emotional state has changed since the accident, it is always worth reaching out to your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and organize the appropriate course of treatment, such as psychotherapy, counseling, or medications that provide you with the tools and treatment you need to regain a sense of emotional well-being and control.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
How to Prove a Hidden Injury in a Compensation Claim
When you are injured due to someone else’s negligence, you should be compensated for the physical, emotional, and financial harm they caused. Proving a case that involves injuries that were difficult to diagnose can be a challenge without legal help. A personal injury lawyer can help by taking on this legal responsibility, as they will know where to gather evidence and how to use it to build a strong case.
Examples of evidence we may use to prove a ‘hidden injury’ comes from:
- Police accident reports
- Medical diagnostic tests
- Doctor’s reports
- Medical expert testimony
- Witness statements
- Employee records
- CCTV or dashcam footage
- Photographs taken at the accident scene
Contact Us for Free Legal Advice about Claiming Compensation For Your Injury
We help our clients with their compensation claims involving complex injuries by drawing on several decades of experience helping injured people in similar situations. We provide everything you need for your claim and offer our legal services on a no-win, no-fee guarantee, so you owe us nothing until after we recover compensation for you.
To learn more about your legal options, contact us for a free case evaluation today. Let us help you to get your life back on track.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
