Statistically speaking, if you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, there’s a good chance there were injuries sustained, whether minor or severe. At least one out of every three motor vehicle accident causes a relatively serious injury, meaning that out of the over six million car accidents in the United States each year, two million will result in over three million men, women and children sustaining injuries.
While some of these injuries will be minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, many more will render injuries which will be life changing, and sometimes life-ending. Many soft-tissue injuries are virtually undetectable at the time of the accident, however may manifest themselves days or weeks down the line. For this reason, if you are ever involved in an accident, it’s important to be thoroughly checked out at the hospital, even if you believe you are completely all right.
How “Hidden” Injuries Can Come Back to Haunt You
Following a car accident, some injuries will be readily apparent. If you are bleeding, scraped or obviously bruised, or if it is clear you have a broken bone, then whether you will likely be whisked off to the hospital to have your injuries taken care of. However, many other types of injuries are not so visible and clear-cut. Parts of your body were likely put under stress or strain from the impact of the collision between vehicles, or your vehicle and an immovable object.
This type of injury typically takes longer to manifest than blunt trauma injuries. It could be weeks, or even months after the accident when you begin to have headaches, neck or back pain, dizziness, or may even begin to have trouble remembering thing due to head trauma. Additionally, these types of injuries are harder to diagnose with traditional diagnostic equipment such as x-rays, MRIs and CAT scans. Although your pain is very real, these machines often fail to register soft tissue damage, leaving you frustrated and hurting.
Whiplash and Concussion
The two most common forms of injury which are severe enough to change your life, yet may be elusive enough that your doctor is unable to offer a definitive diagnosis are whiplash and concussion. Whiplash in particular is often taken lightly or even dismissed, however it is a serious injury which requires appropriate treatment for a full recovery. When the neck is suddenly distorted due to the impact of a car into your own, you can end up with mild to severe chronic headaches, shooting pains in your back and neck, minimization of your range of motion, swelling and muscle spasms, to name a few. Treatment for whiplash can range from self-care to professional medical treatments including rehabilitation exercises, chiropractic treatments and even surgery in severe cases.
Concussions are essentially a physical injury to the brain which disrupts the normal brain functions. In the early stages of a concussion, there may only be headache, dizziness or minor confusion. In later stages, the effects of a concussion can be much more significant, and can include a complete inability to concentrate on the task at hand, growing fatigued quickly and chronic irritability, anxiety and depression. In short, a more serious concussion can bring long-term effects, and can completely change not only your life, but the lives of those who love you as well.
After the Accident
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it is necessary for you to commit to the medical rehabilitation as designed by your doctor. Many times people fail to take their injuries from a car accident seriously enough until the symptoms have grown to an unmanageable level. If you were injured as the direct result of another’s negligence, a personal injury attorney can help you determine whether or not you have a valid claim, and can help you navigate both your medical treatments as well as your insurance claim.
Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC. Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.
The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.