As the summer heats up and schools let out, roadways in and around Chicago fill up, leading to more car accidents. In many cases, car accidents leave victims with injuries they don’t realize they have for days or even weeks.
While that might seem to indicate that the injuries are not very serious, that is sadly not true. Many delayed-pain injuries lead to long-term serious damage or even death.
If you recently experienced a car accident and didn’t feel any pain at first, it might seem reasonable to skip getting a professional medical examination. This is a potentially dangerous move.
Even if you don’t think you were injured, a medical professional should always examine you after a car accident. If left untreated, you may suffer serious harm from a delayed pain injury.
Once you receive professional medical care, be sure to speak with an attorney to ensure that you have all the tools you need to make a full recovery and obtain any fair compensation you may rightfully deserve.
Your symptoms could indicate many types of injury
Let’s assume your accident occurred about a week ago. Although you initially believed that your injuries were minor or superficial, now you feel pain that you definitely did not have before the accident. Depending on the nature of the pain, your injuries might vary greatly.
First, if you have abdominal pain, seek medical attention immediately. Pain in the abdomen often indicates either internal bleeding or some greater form of organ damage. Left untreated, such an injury can lead to organ failure and even death.
Other injuries are less serious, but still require proper care to avoid worsening.
Ongoing headaches or nausea may indicate either a mild traumatic brain injury, or, more commonly, whiplash. Whiplash is a broad term that refers to a number of injuries that manifest throughout your upper body, neck and shoulders. Often, you may experience radiating pain throughout a region, or an acute pinching.
Similarly, when your spinal cord suffers strain, one or more discs in your spine may herniate, often pinching nerves. A pinched nerve can produce either acute pain or numbness and tingling, often in your extremities.
If left untreated, these conditions may worsen and create lasting damage.
Don’t wait to get proper help
Obviously, it is crucial to get proper medical treatment when you experience a car accident. Also, it is important to obtain proper legal guidance to ensure that your treatment does not suffer from slow moving insurance providers, among other things.
With professional legal counsel from an experienced attorney, you can rest assured that you have all the tools you need to pursue a full recovery and fair compensation for your losses.
