delayed soft tissue injuries after car accident bristol tn

A motor vehicle accident can produce a shock to your system. Your body senses danger and floods your system with hormones like adrenaline and endorphins that can mask pain from injuries, at least for a time. Additionally, injuries like soft tissue damage take time to manifest symptoms. That is why you may experience pain or discomfort hours, days or even weeks after the accident.

If you’ve been in a car crash, you should get a medical checkup immediately, since you may have suffered injuries that are not readily apparent. If you can, get to your doctor as soon as possible for assessment and testing for possible broken bones, nerve damage or internal injuries.

Even if the initial examination and testing are unrevealing, keep on the alert for anything abnormal about your physical condition. Here are some delayed injury symptoms that can arise long after a car accident:

  • Headaches, sometimes with blurry vision — You might be tempted to treat head pain by taking aspirin and getting bed rest. If you’ve been in an accident, however, it is important to have any headache checked out by a medical professional. You could have a concussion or a blood clot on the brain, both of which require medical attention.
  • Dizziness, nausea or ringing in the ears — These can also signal a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, even without a headache.
  • Abdominal pain —Pain in or around the abdomen may indicate internal bleeding. If you being to feel abdominal pain in the hours or days after a car accident, it is best to make a trip to your nearest emergency room.
  • Memory or concentration problems and sleep disturbances — After a car accident, you may be tempted to blame your inability to concentrate or your trouble sleeping on psychological issues. See your doctor to discuss these symptoms, because treatment for a concussion is more successful the earlier it is started.
  • Pain, stiffness or numbness in the back, shoulder or neck — Whiplash is a spinal injury caused when the head and neck are pushed forward and back by a violent impact. The symptoms of this serious injury can take a long time to show themselves.

Keep the lines of communication open with your doctor and report anything new that you feel as the days and weeks go by. If injuries are discovered, it can also be helpful to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss whether it is possible to recover monetary compensation beyond your insurance coverage.

The attorneys of Massengill, Caldwell & Coughlin, P.C. have been representing injured parties in the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia region since 1909.. To schedule a free initial consultation, call us at 423-797-6022 or contact us online. In addition to appointments in our Bristol office, we offer home and hospital visits.