Car accidents, even those that seem relatively minor, are a violent experience for the human body. While humans are among the most resilient creatures throughout all of nature, we are also easily injured.
In some cases, injuries that you suffer in a car accident are not obvious at the scene of the collision. Many people who don’t think they suffered an injury in an accident chalk it up as a qualified win and skip going to see a doctor. Unfortunately, the longer that a person waits to obtain proper medical care after an accident, the more time an injury has to worsen.
If you recently experienced a car accident, you should seek medical attention from a medical professional as soon as possible. While injuries that don’t cause pain immediately are not always serious, some of them can leave you long-lasting effects and even kill you. These are known as delayed onset injuries
Should you find that you did suffer a delayed onset injury, consider consulting with an attorney to make sure that you’re not on the hook for medical expenses and lost wages that are not your fault or responsibility. An experienced attorney can help you examine all the facts of your case and build a strong claim that addresses your needs and protects your rights.
Don’t wait if you have abdominal pain
As a general rule, you should always go see a doctor or some other qualified medical professional as soon as you possibly can after an accident — even if you don’t think that you suffered an injury. In most cases, this is simply a wise preventative measure to avoid unnecessary harm.
However, if you feel abdominal pain after an accident, you may have an emergency. Do not wait until tomorrow, or even until the end of your workday to seek out medical attention.
Abdominal pain often occurs hours or days after an accident, brought on by internal bleeding or even organ damage. Your organs are particularly fragile, and if you experience internal bleeding, you may develop an infection that enters your bloodstream and spreads to other parts of your body. In severe cases, this can kill you.
Other types of delayed onset injuries
While abdominal injuries are the most serious type of delayed onset injury, you may also experience delayed pain in your neck, back or head. A blow to the head could leave you with mild brain damage, or a herniated disc in your spinal column may pinch nerves and leave you with numbness and tingling in your limbs.
If you experience any type of delayed pain after a car accident, don’t wait to seek out the medical attention you need.