The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that in 2018, there were 67,453 motor vehicle accidents which caused 94,164 injuries. That was in Illinois alone.
Your chances of being involved in at least one car crash in your life are still pretty high. One hopes that this will improve with the advent of electric vehicles that drive themselves.
However, that remains to be seen.
Car accidents cause serious injury to humans. We are not designed for a car accident’s forces and vicious impacts.
The body is subject to violent physical forces which can injure soft tissue in the neck, back and shoulders, as well as cuts and bruises, broken bones and lacerations.
Let’s look at what to expect physically after a car accident.
How to Deal with Apparent Injuries
Injuries that are immediately noticeable should be treated straight away by 911 or a visit to the hospital.
These injuries are easy to identify as they are accompanied by pain in the area of the injury.
Document all treatments and hospital visits, and follow up visits to the doctors.
Document pain and suffering and any other strange symptoms you have in the weeks and months following the accident.
If you require long term treatment, document these too, including meticulous records of all expenses. Keeping records of everything will help you claim compensation. Once you have everything in order, it’s important to head to the best personal injury lawyer in your area. They will then take over from there.
Abels and Annes Personal Injury Lawyers explains that “a car accident lawyer can deal with the insurance companies, properly file all paperwork and documents, accurately calculate your damages, and represent you in court, if necessary. At the time of settlement, often they will negotiate with your doctors to reduce the amounts of your medical bills. They do this to put more money in your pocket.”
Non-Apparent Injuries
The presence of adrenaline in your body immediately following an accident can mask pain symptoms so that you are not even aware that you have been injured.
You can generally expect soreness for up to six weeks.
Some pain will only appear days, weeks, or months after the accident. Be sure to document and date this.
Don’t tough it out and put off seeing a doctor even if the injury is not particularly painful. Instead, as soon as you are aware of issues, see a doctor and get diagnosed. The sooner treatment begins, the sooner you can get well again.
Soft tissue damage and whiplash injuries may only surface many days after the accident. Document and date these injuries and treatments received as well.
Whiplash injuries are challenging to prove and establish, so the more evidence you retain, the better.
The following symptoms may appear after the accident, so you should look out for them:
- Depression
- Abdominal pain
- Emotional distress
- Headaches and dizziness
- Changes in your personality
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Back pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms
- Tingling, numbness and bruising
To Sum Up
Accident injuries range from minor to severe.
All of your injuries must be assessed and treated as soon as possible. In addition, emotional issues resulting from the accident and injuries that appear to be minor but have costs associated with them should also be assessed and treated.
Some injuries take a long time to manifest.
Do not sign any settlement agreements until you are satisfied that new injuries will not materialize.
If you do, and then new injuries surface, you will not be entitled to claim for them.
It is critical to consult with an experienced and highly specialized personal injury law firm. They will properly assess your claim and all settlement offers that may be presented to you.
Should your matter proceed past settlement, they will also represent you in court.