How Long After An Accident Can It Take For Symptoms To Appear
If you feel fine after a car wreck, you got extremely lucky and have nothing to worry about, right?
Not quite.
While some people do get lucky after auto accidents, there are also cases where a severe injury has occurred, but it won't be until long after a car accident when symptoms finally appear.
Many injuries show symptoms immediately, but other injuries will lay dormant for a while.
There are even situations where a life-threatening injury can worsen for weeks before a victim realizes they were injured in an accident.
Serious injuries, like injuries to internal organs and whiplash, do not display symptoms immediately.
Other times people don't associate their symptoms with the car crash.
Your specific injury will determine how long after your accident it will take symptoms to appear.
It's very unpredictable when pain after a car accident may finally show up.
This is why it's important to see a Car Accident Chiropractor after an accident even if you don't think you're injured.
The article below will go into depth about delayed symptoms and common symptoms to look out for.
How Long After a Car Accident Can Injures Show Up?
Delayed symptoms will vary depending on the injury you sustained and the circumstances of your accident.
It isn't completely clear why some people will have immediate injury symptoms after a car accident, while others will develop symptoms hours or days later.
Because it is so unpredictable, doctors rely on research and case studies to determine how long it will be until injury symptoms appear.
For example, internal bleeding can lay dormant for 24 to 72 hours until it shows symptoms.
It can take eight whole days for back and neck injuries to emerge, and symptoms of a concussion can take hours or days to show up.
Never Settle Right Away
If another driver's negligence caused your car accident, you shouldn't settle too early.
Shortly after your accident, the other driver's insurance company will contact you and ask you to sign a release of any claims you might have.
They might even offer you money to sign the release right away.
Don't do this.
Never sign a release before you've been cleared medically and talked to a personal injury lawyer.
If you are injured, you shouldn't sign a release until you've made a complete recovery from your injuries.
Once you sign the release, you waive your legal right to pursue further compensation if injuries do show up or if they turn out to be worse than first expected.
Even if it seems like the insurance company is willing to work with you, it's best to speak with a personal injury attorney before you sign anything.
You never want to accidentally sign away your rights in case your situation worsens, and your lawyer will be able to advise you on your best course of action.
And never wait too long to file a claim or speak to an attorney. Each state has a statute of limitations you have to meet if you want a chance to win compensation.
Delayed Injury Symptoms To Look Out For
Headache
It is very common for people to develop headaches after a vehicle accident. In most cases, they are harmless and will go away on their own.
But sometimes a headache can be a sign of a much more severe problem.
A severe concussion, blood clots on the brain, and neck and head injuries can all be signaled by headaches.
It's always a good idea to see a doctor or a chiropractor if you start having headaches after an accident. It's still better to be safe than sorry.
There is also the risk of a traumatic brain injury. If you were to hit your head during the accident, your brain could hit the hard interior of your skull, causing a traumatic brain injury.
This can easily cause swelling, bruising, bleeding, and damage to your brain tissue.
Traumatic brain injuries like this can be life-threatening, even if you feel fine immediately after the accident.
Neck Pain or Shoulder Pain
After an accident, pain in your neck and shoulders is usually a sign of whiplash, a very common motor vehicle accident injury.
It could also be a sign of other soft tissue injuries in your neck.
Sometimes you will experience pain in your neck and shoulders right after the accident, but it could be several days until the symptoms reveal themselves.
If you develop pain in your neck or shoulders after your accident, you should schedule a trip to see your chiropractor.
A spinal injury can also cause neck and shoulder pain, and spinal injuries need to be treated as soon as possible.
Back Pain
Back pain that shows up days after an auto accident can be a symptom of a herniated disc, a soft tissue injury, spinal injury, strains and sprains, or whiplash.
Numbness or tingling in your back could be a pinched nerve.
Any one of these conditions can result in crippling pain and decrease your mobility.
That's why you must seek medical attention as soon as your back starts to hurt.
Get The Medical Care You Need
Just because you were able to walk away from a car wreck doesn't mean you have a clean bill of health.
Delayed accident symptoms are common, and it could be days after the accident when symptoms finally start presenting themselves.
But you shouldn't wait for days or weeks to receive medical treatment.
When your health and well-being are on the line, there is no such thing as being too cautious.
So, even if you feel fine after a car accident, you should still seek immediate medical attention.
If you're able to walk away from your accident, you should schedule an appointment with a chiropractor.
A skilled car accident chiropractor will review your medical history and perform a full physical exam to diagnose any accident injuries you may have sustained.
Arrowhead Clinic has been treating car accident injuries for over 40 years.
If you've recently been involved in an accident, you should schedule a Free Consultation with Arrowhead Clinic so they can diagnose your injuries or give you a clean bill of health.
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