Experiencing a car accident can be scary and nerve-racking. Yet, you may be surprised that you do not feel any physical pain after the intense jostling of the collision. Should you conclude that you are physically fine and lucky to be injury free? Actually, the answer is no.
The reality is that car accidents often result in pain, symptoms, and injuries that can delay in showing up. Some conditions manifest themselves slowly over days and weeks. At times, injuries can appear or display symptoms even several weeks later.
Therefore, after a car accident, you need to be alert to the appearance of symptoms and injuries. The best course of action is to seek medical attention as quickly as possible after an accident. This is true whether you think you’re fine or feel no pain at the time.
Phillips Law Group helps victims of auto accidents in Arizona and nationwide. You can call us or fill out our contact form to speak with one of our attorneys.
How Much Time Does It Take for Injuries to Appear?
Each person responds differently to a traumatic experience. The stress and anxiety level of one person can be higher or lower than someone sitting in the seat right beside him or her. The same is true for physical injuries.
Even now, researchers are uncertain as to the reason some people feel symptoms of injuries instantly and why others require more time. In the case of a car accident, some people feel pain immediately. Whereas others feel pain within hours, days, and sometimes weeks following the accident.
The human body can produce a tremendous rush of adrenaline and endorphins when a petrifying event occurs. The surge of these chemicals in the body is frequently the reason why injury symptoms delay after a car accident.
It is important to keep in mind that these chemicals mask the pain sensations. However, they do not indicate that your body is okay. It is extremely beneficial to your health and legal standing as well to visit a doctor immediately following a car accident.
How Adrenaline Can Be a Double-Edged Sword
Your brain and body want to protect you as much as possible after a traumatic event. Thus, after a car accident, your body can flood your system with the hormone adrenaline. Adrenaline is closely linked to what is often referred to as the “fight or flight” human response when in a dangerous situation.
The helpful and positive effects of adrenaline are the following:
- Sudden and significant increased amount of energy
- Considerable reduction in pain, perhaps no pain
- Dilated blood vessels and expanded air passageways that increase the flow of oxygen
- Heightened level of strength as a result of increased blood going to your muscles
- Heightened senses, such as vision and hearing
The above are certainly helpful conditions that adrenaline produces for the body to escape danger successfully. However, the release of this endorphin in such a large amount can be misleading since it can deceive you into believing you are fine.
In reality, when the adrenaline wears off, your body may have serious injuries. The pain you feel can be severe and widespread. Do not be fooled by adrenaline. It may simply be delaying the realization of your injuries.
What are the Symptoms of Delayed Injuries?
Injuries that are slow or delayed in their manifestation can become noticeable within hours to weeks following a collision. It is important, then, to be attentive to your body at that time.
Among the common symptoms that your body may start to display indicating you are injured are:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Light sensitivity
- Sensitivity to loud noises
- Abdominal pain
- Numbness
- Tingling sensations
- Behavioral changes
- Memory loss
- Difficulty remembering
- Tiredness
- Weakness
Irregular or unusual sleep patterns (for example, insomnia or sleeping excessively)
In the moments just after a car crash, it is common to hear victims express that they feel alright. However, often the next morning when they wake up, they describe their physical condition as much worse. Why is this the case?
In addition to the lack of pain experienced by an adrenaline rush, some injuries take time to show themselves. But what types of serious injuries could these delayed symptoms be a sign of?
Serious Injuries With Delayed Appearance
A car accident is an abrupt, powerful event that causes painful effects. However, frequently people walk away from a collision or accident feeling unsettled and nervous but seem fine physically. It is important to be aware that delayed injuries are common after vehicle accidents.
Among the most common delayed injuries after an auto accident are the following:
The most common of these injuries is whiplash.
What is Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that is caused by sudden, intense, and violent forward and reverse motion of the neck. According to one university study, whiplash can occur in car accidents with speeds as low as 5 to 10 miles per hour.
The human head, on average, weighs about 11 pounds. It is supported and balanced by only 7 vertebrae. In a car accident, the head weight, when combined with the force of impact, can result in soft tissue damage and fractures to bones.
Whiplash can cause severe damage and can have painful life-long effects. In some situations, the severity of the whiplash injury can be reduced and even avoided with an early diagnosis. Physical therapy or similar treatments can also significantly help a person injured by whiplash.
Whiplash symptoms can seem like other injuries from the accident or be unnoticeable initially after the crash. These symptoms often remain unnoticeable for two, three, or more days after the accident.
Unfortunately, injured persons with whiplash often do not visit a doctor until they are in intense pain and suffering from immobility. It is better to seek medical attention early after the accident, if possible.
At the latest, you should see a doctor immediately after symptoms, such as the following, appear:
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Pain in the upper back
- Pain in arms
- Stiffness
- Headaches
- Tingling in arms or shoulders
- Numbness in the arms or hands
- Dizziness
Get Legal Assistance After a Car Accident With Delayed Injuries
Perhaps you felt fine immediately after your car accident. But now, after some time has passed, you might feel pain. If you have not done so already, please seek medical attention as quickly as possible.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you may be able to hold the negligent, at-fault party accountable. This is true even in the case that your injuries are delayed in their appearance.
An experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover financially after your accident and injury so you can be compensated for your medical bills, pain, suffering, and lost income. Please get in touch with the personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group.![]()
Have you recently been in a car accident? Do you feel fine? Or did you initially feel okay but now, after some time has passed, you are starting to feel pain and discomfort? Are you worried that these pains might be related to your accident?
First and foremost, if you have been in any kind of collision, you should seek medical attention straight away. Immediate action protects your health and can benefit you legally.
The truth is that vehicular collisions can cause injuries and pain that are not evident immediately. The symptoms of some injuries can develop slowly. They could take days or even weeks to appear. You must be attentive to symptoms as they show up after a car accident, even if initially you felt fine following the collision.
How can you protect yourself legally and financially from injuries that may appear after an automobile collision? Please contact the personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group.
Why Symptoms May Develop Later
No two human bodies are exactly the same. Additionally, the physical effects of a car crash can be significantly different in locations just centimeters apart. Consequently, even people sitting right next to each other in a vehicle can have very different results, injuries, and feelings after a car accident.
In our 21st century, researchers are still not certain as to the reason some human bodies immediately manifest injuries and other accident victims do not. After a vehicle collision, some people can see or feel symptoms within minutes or seconds. While other people, even passengers in the same car, may start feeling pain hours, days, or weeks after the accident.
Your Body May Be Injured, But Adrenaline Might Not Let You Know
You may think yourself “lucky” that you were not hurt after a car collision because you do not feel any physical pain for the time being. It is even possible that you even feel better than usual after the accident, but how can this be after having been jostled about during the collision?
A car accident is a frightening and unnerving event. The human body has an instinctive way of coping with and managing sudden and significantly disturbing events. Your brain will make your body drastically increase its adrenaline.
Adrenaline is a hormone related to the “fight or flight” human response during an alarming situation. The body produces this hormone in abundance during and after a crash to give you the energy and ability necessary to escape danger. However, this hormone can also be dangerous and deceptive.
First, let us identify the positive and helpful effects of adrenaline. These include:
- Expansion of blood vessels and widening of air passageways, thus increasing the body’s flow of oxygen
- A sudden and drastic increase in strength as a result of a surge of blood pumping to your muscles
- An immediate and significant upsurge in energy
- Sharper vision and hearing can occur
- Observable reduction in pain (possibly no pain)
After an accident, at times, victims will say, “It’s strange, but I feel better now than I did when I woke up this morning.” Or the victim may see an injury on his or her body and remark, “It’s strange that this doesn’t hurt more than it does.”
These and similar comments are likely the results of a large amount of adrenaline. This endorphin certainly serves its purpose of helping your body function to reach safety after a collision. However, it can mislead a victim into believing that he or she is fine when really, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
As the adrenaline levels in your body return to normal, your body will let you know that you have been injured. Your body’s pain can become noticeable to its full degree in the hours following the accident. Although you may not be in pain initially after the collision, do not be fooled.
You may have widespread and severe injuries. The symptoms and pain may only be delayed. It is wise to seek medical attention after a car accident, even if you have never felt better – for now.
Some Severe Injuries Can Be Present Even When Pain Initially is Not
In addition to adrenaline masking injuries or reducing pain, another danger can exist among injuries after a car collision. Some injuries, although severe, may slowly develop pain. Other times, the pain of a serious injury might manifest itself initially as mild discomfort.
Some of the most common injuries that can be slow to appear after an auto accident are the following:
An accident involving a car can leave a victim unsettled and anxious but seemingly without physical injury. However, make no mistake about it – an automobile collision is a powerful, forceful event.
Consider this, in one university study it was found that a passenger traveling at just 30 mph and wearing a seatbelt can experience briefly up to 3,200 pounds of force in a collision. Therefore, it is crucial to remember that injuries can be present although slow to manifest symptoms.
Early Symptoms of an Injury That is Slow to Appear
Some injuries and symptoms are felt instantly after a collision or crash. Whereas other injuries can appear slowly after hours, days, and even weeks after the accident. To prevent or minimize the long-term effects of these injuries, you must identify them as quickly as possible.
Common symptoms that can be indicative that you have been injured include the following:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Excessive sleeping
- Insomnia
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Light sensitivity
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to loud noises
- Numbness
- Tingling sensations
- Abdominal pain
- Behavioral changes
- Difficulty remembering
- Memory loss
If you experience any of the above symptoms after a car crash, please do not take them lightly. It may be easy to think of them as routine discomforts or something to be expected after an accident. However, they could be indications of injuries caused by the collision.
These injuries could be very serious. Please visit a medical professional as soon as possible. This can help you physically and legally if you require compensation for your injuries.
Having medical documentation that links your injuries to the collision or crash is key if at-fault parties are resistant to paying financial restitution. The sooner you have authentic evidence from a medical professional, the better it is for your car accident case.
How to Get Legal Help for Your Car Accident Injuries That Appeared Slowly
Are you or a loved one experiencing pain from a car collision injury that appeared slowly? It is possible that you can hold the negligent driver accountable. You can potentially receive financial restitution for the medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering you are experiencing.
Let a personal injury lawyer who is skilled in car accident cases and slowly appearing injuries help you. Please get in contact with the personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group.
Available 24/7