Car accidents can happen at any time to anyone. Though some motor vehicle accidents can be fatal or cause serious injuries, most people experience minor injuries.
At the scene of the incident, you may have walked away completely unharmed, maybe with only a bruise or just feeling a little shaken up. But did you know that trauma and injuries may show up days, weeks, or even months later?
Adrenaline can mask symptoms of injuries at the time of the accident. In addition, every individual’s body reacts to trauma differently, which can delay our body’s response to an injury.
If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, it is important to be aware of delayed symptoms that may signal an injury. Here are 3 possible delayed car accident injury symptoms that may occur hours, days, or weeks after your accident.
1. Neck Pain:
Neck stiffness or pain, difficulty moving your neck through its full range of motion, pain that extends down the shoulders/upper back, or headaches are all symptoms of possible whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the head and neck jerk rapidly forward and backward upon impact, and symptoms can develop hours to a few months after an accident.
2. Concussion:
Common symptoms of a concussion include headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion, memory problems, loss of balance, and personality change. Signs for a concussion, also referred to as a mild traumatic brain injury, aren’t always immediate and can develop a few hours to a couple of days after an accident.
3. Soft Tissue Injuries:
The human body is made up of many types of soft tissue, including muscle, nerves, and ligaments. Unlike a broken bone, which causes pain right away, a soft tissue injury can take longer to develop. Swelling, pain, tenderness, bruising, or a reduced range of motion can take a couple of hours to a few days to appear.
If you are ever involved in a motor vehicle accident, it’s important to visit your doctor immediately. Doctors may detect a few of the above injuries before you even know you have them. A visit to your doctor or a physiotherapist can provide documentation of your injury, which can become valuable evidence when submitting your claim and challenging the insurance company to compensate you fairly.
If you are ever involved in a motor vehicle accident in Alberta and have questions about your claim, I encourage you to reach out to our team for a free consultation.
To book your FREE CONSULTATION with our team today, call 780-900-7941.