Injuries commonly appear directly after being involved in a serious car accident. But there is another common medical term known as delayed onset of injury, in which vehicle accident injuries present themselves through pain and problems days, weeks or even later following a collision or fall. If you were involved in a car accident that was not your fault and now you are experiencing pain and problems due to your injuries, it is important to know how to protect yourself, both physically and legally.
Continue reading to learn more about later appearing vehicle accident injuries, including what to do if you have an onset of injuries, pain and problems following a car accident in Indiana.
Common Causes of an Onset of Injury After a Car Accident
When humans are faced with distressing physical or emotional challenges, our bodies can become shocked or stimulated, which can actually help us manage the traumatic situation. Take professional athletes for instance; they often get injured during a big game but will continue to play anyway. This is usually explained by a triggered biological response of adrenaline and endorphin production, which helps mitigate pain, and even fear.
Just like professional athletes who get injured on the track or field, our bodies are significantly stimulated after a traumatic car accident, which can lead to physical shock and block pain. This biological response is a common reason why car accident survivors often do not feel injured directly after an accident, but rather, later that day, days later, weeks later or even longer.
Injuries That Can Appear After a Car Accident
After being in a car accident, your body will become exited or stimulated, and generate higher levels of adrenaline and endorphins. This biological response can make you feel like you are not hurt. But once the triggered stimulation wears off, which can be a matter of hours, days, weeks, or even longer, your body can begin to feel the effects of the injury. Do not assume that you are not hurt after a car accident.
The most common types of later-appearing car accident injuries are ligament, tendon, spinal and muscle and tissue related injuries. Head injuries like concussions are also known to arise after a car accident. When it comes to car accident head injuries, the signs to look out for include cloudy thinking, foggy or blurred vision, slurred speech, memory loss, sensitivity to light or sound, inability to focus, headaches, nausea, dizziness, lethargy, loss of focus and concentration and irregular sleep patterns.
It is vital to see a doctor as soon as you begin to experience any degree of symptoms from injuries following a car accident. While most people wait to see if their symptoms will resolve on their own with time, rest and over-the-counter medications and heat and ice treatments at home, it is always better to be seen by a trained doctor as soon as possible to get good advice and to make sure you are doing everything you can to get better as soon as possible. Not only is medical treatment important for protecting your health and well-being, but it also provides evidence to support your personal injury car accident claim. Insurance adjusters for at-fault defendants want to see medical records.
Claims For Later Appearing Car Accident Injuries and Symptoms
If a car accident survivor who was injured by a negligent driver experiences late-appearing symptoms and injuries, it is not too late to make a personal injury claim. There is still opportunity to pursue legal action and claim payments for your damages and losses. Car accident personal injury claims usually have a statute of limitations of 2 years, depending upon who the at-fault party is.
Claims against governmental entities, including but not limited to a City, County or State must be made in as little as 6 months so it is best to hire an attorney immediately following your auto collision so you can get good advice and not miss any deadlines, as well as to enable your attorney to obtain evidence before it disappears.
This means that from the date of the accident, in most cases, a wrongfully injured car accident victim has 24 months to file suit against the at-fault driver in order to eventually receive a payment on a settlement or judgment from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Settlements can cover damages like hospital bills, medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
Are you a recent car accident survivor who has suffered damages because of a wrongfully caused motor vehicle collision in Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free consultation with our car accident injury lawyers in Indianapolis, Indiana. We represent clients throughout the state of Indiana.
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