In the immediate moments following your personal injury accident, you may feel “shaken up,” so to speak. But otherwise, you may feel physically okay. At this point, all you may want to do is leave the scene of your accident to go home and forget that this horrible event ever happened. But if you notice your physical health declining in the days following, you should not and cannot ignore that they exist. With all that being said, please continue reading to learn what happens if your injuries do not appear right after your accident and how an experienced Leonardtown personal injury lawyer at The Dorsey Law Firm can help you get the necessary medical assistance.
What types of injuries can have delayed symptoms?
There are many injuries commonly attributed to personal injury accidents that are known to take days, weeks, or even months to arise to the surface, more than you may initially realize. Nonetheless, below are examples of these injuries and the symptoms you should monitor:
- Concussions: headache, blurry vision, nausea, dizziness, clouded thinking, etc.
- Back injuries: trouble walking, standing, or sitting; muscle spasms, etc.
- Nerve damage: numbness and tingling in the arms, legs, hands, and feet.
- Soft tissue injuries: pain, swelling, and reduced mobility in the necks, shoulders, and upper back.
What if my injuries don’t appear until days after my accident?
Even if you do not feel any level of pain or discomfort right after your personal injury accident, it is in your best interest to go directly from the scene to the emergency room, an urgent care facility, or your primary healthcare provider. This is because a medical professional may have the knowledge, tools, and technology to test whether you suffered an underlying injury.
Even if they do not suspect anything initially, they may educate you on what signs and symptoms to look out for for common injury types (i.e., concussions, back injuries, nerve damage, soft tissue injuries, etc). What’s more, they may have you schedule a follow-up appointment so you may undergo this testing once more and determine whether any conditions have actualized.
As always, early intervention is key to reach a fast and full recovery. Not just that, but it is also pivotal for the success of your potential, future personal injury claim. That is, if you want to hold another party accountable, you must prove that they actually caused your injuries to come about. So, if there is too significant of a gap between your accident event and your first medical visit, the other party may easily argue that your injuries and damages should not and cannot be tied to them.
All in all, even if your injuries do not appear right away, your effort to stay on top of them through prompt and consistent medical intervention may make a great difference in the eyes of the Maryland civil court. To give yourself enough time to develop a solid case, please contact a skilled Leonardtown personal injury lawyer from The Dorsey Law Firm as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.
