Any injury sustained by a driver or passenger, when two or more motor vehicles collide, reveals the powerful nature of the force that created that same injury. The occupants of the colliding vehicles undergo a marked level of stress on one of more parts of their body. Sometimes the effect of that stress makes its appearance over an extended period of time.
Pain can indicate the presence of a problem. Yet pain cannot be measured or photographed. Injuries to one of the body’s soft tissues might produce a painful sensation, yet it would that same defect would not show up on an X-ray. Despite that fact, any accident victim should seek medical help as soon as possible.
Even if the examining doctor does not note any visible injuries, the doctor’s report will reflect the driver’s or passenger’s effort to visit a physician, soon after the accident. Consequently, that same physician will have some background information, if new symptoms develop. Even any young children that were in the colliding vehicles out to be seen be a pediatrician of a family doctor.
Examples of late-appearing injuries
Whiplash-associated disorder: Neck muscles get pulled in two different directions. Pain could persist for an extended period of time. No doctor can predict ahead of time how long a given patient might need to deal with relentless and painful sensations.
Concussion: Sometimes the brain hits the side of the skull. The initial symptoms can go unnoticed, or be mistaken as evidence of the effect of everyday stress. Such symptoms include things like clouded thinking, inability to concentrate, poor memory, headaches, nausea, drowsiness or lack of energy.
Later symptoms could underscore the serious nature of the disorder. Those could include things like blurry vision, problems sleeping or dizziness. If a doctor has been told about a patient’s presence in a colliding vehicle, the appearance of such a symptom would be less of a mystery.
Actions to be taken by patient/victim:
Talk with treating physician, in order to find out how long it might take for all the symptoms associated with a given injury to manifest themselves.
Share with doctor any special concerns, or any awareness of other medical conditions that could account for unexpected complications. For instance, did the passenger or driver have an earache at the time of the accident. The force could cause the infection to settle in the driver’s or passenger’s brain.
Do not hold back such information. Remember, the defendant does not get to pick and choose the characteristics of the victim of the accident.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Lower Sackville. You should not agree to an early settlement. Work with the lawyer and the doctor, seeking verified evidence of a slow-appearing injury.