When you are involved in a car accident in Atlanta, things often occur in just the blink of an eye. Most notably, the stress of the accident can cause your body to flood with adrenaline. This adrenaline can take hours to fully leave your body. In the interim, you may not realize you suffered an injury in the accident. This is why it is important that you never say you are “fine,” following a car accident until you have seen a medical professional.
Injuries that are not always apparent after a car accident are frequently called hidden injuries. These injuries are masked by the adrenaline of the crash and can go days before becoming fully apparent.
Unfortunately, insurance companies and their adjusters are skeptical of injuries that “suddenly” appear days after a car crash. They treat these injuries harshly and rarely believe injured accident victims. They may even suggest that you are filing a fraudulent claim. When this occurs, you need an experienced Atlanta car accident attorney on your side to fight for you and for your rights to obtain maximum compensation.
Common Hidden Injuries After a Car Accident
Some of the most common injuries that may not manifest immediately following your accident include:
- Soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue injuries like whiplash may be difficult to recognize for a few hours, days, or, in some cases, even weeks after the accident. While broken bones and other hard-tissue injuries are readily apparent, soft tissue injuries are much more insidious—and more difficult to diagnose. A soft-tissue injury could cause pain, stiffness, limited range of motion, and an overall feeling of soreness. Whiplash can also cause headaches, vertigo, and tingling, and numbness in the extremities. Soft tissue injuries are most common in the muscles and tendons in the neck and back.
- Brain and head injuries. Brain injuries can also be missed immediately following the car accident. While concussions and some other brain injuries will show immediate symptoms, other brain injuries that involve a slow bleed or swelling may not be apparent until the injury has worsened to the point of causing significant damage.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD can occur following a car accident and may not be noticeable until later. Witnessing or experiencing a serious car collision can lead to depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, and phobias. Most of those who experience mental or psychological trauma following a car accident begin noticing the symptoms days after the accident.
- Nerve damage. While a spinal cord injury is usually noticeable soon after a car accident, in some cases, spinal cord injuries and nerve damage to the spine can be missed until hours or days later when pain, tingling, numbness, or loss of function or sensation occurs.
- Herniated discs. A herniated disc is relatively common following a serious car accident, as the trauma of the accident can rupture the exterior shell of the disc, pushing the soft interior outward. When the surrounding nerves are compressed, sharp pains may alert the victim to the injury, but it could take hours or days to do so.
- Internal organ damage. Believe it or not, internal organ injuries can be easy to miss if you do not have a medical professional check you out after a car accident. The pressure of a seat belt or other external force can push against an internal organ, causing damage to the heart, lungs, intestines, spleen, kidney, or liver. By the time you realize something is “not right,” there could be permanent damage to an organ or slow internal bleeding.
While you should always see a doctor after a car accident, if you experience any of the following symptoms, see a medical professional immediately:
- Stiffness in the neck or shoulders
- Pain that does not go away anywhere in the body
- Numbness or tingling in any part of the body
- Persistent headaches
- Back and neck pain
- Pain or swelling in the abdominal region
- Depression, anxiety, or mood changes
- Insomnia
- Changes in appetite
Contact Our Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers
For years, the Kim Law Team has helped injured car accident victims who suffered hidden injuries. We know the uphill battle you face when dealing with insurance companies and we are here to help. From Buckhead to DeKalb, we have helped secure millions for our clients.
If you suffered a hidden injury in Atlanta, we can help you pursue maximum compensation. Our law firm offers FREE initial consultations and reviews, so you can get the answers you need – when you need them. Call 404-587-8946 or fill out our confidential contact form. Just call and JUST WIN.
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