Delayed Symptoms to Watch for After an Automobile Accident

Car accident delayed injuries santa barbara

Car accidents cause serious damage and trauma to your body. It can all happen in just a few seconds. Even if you leave the scene seemingly unscathed, you could have lingering harm you do not know about yet. Some injuries may not show symptoms for days, weeks or even months after the car accident.

There are several medical reasons why you may not notice an injury immediately. The first is that hormones such as adrenaline can temporarily reduce or eliminate pain and increase your strength after a traumatic accident. The second is that your body needs time to process injuries, such as strained or torn ligaments. Third, due in part to nerve damage, some injuries and their symptoms simply do not become evident right away.

You should be on the lookout for the following delayed symptoms after an automobile accident, which could be signs of serious injuries:

Headaches — After an accident, headaches are common, but they could be signs of concussions, brain bleeds or nerve damage if they persist long afterward.
Pain, swelling and numbness — You may notice soreness and inflammation in your back, abdomen, limbs or extremities for several days or more. Depending on the location, these symptoms could signal muscle, tissue or organ damage.
Dizziness or disorientation — If you are dizzy or confused for weeks after an accident, this could be a sign of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or nerve damage in the neck.
Whiplash — Among the most common injuries from car accidents is whiplash, the stretching and tearing of neck muscles due to sudden back and forth movement. Neck pain and related whiplash symptoms can take days or weeks to appear, even if you felt fine immediately after the accident.
Post-traumatic stress — Being in a severe car accident may cause you to experience nightmares, sudden flashbacks and other forms of emotional and psychological trauma that can persist well after the car accident itself.

These and any other delayed symptoms you notice after the accident should be diagnosed by a medical professional. See your doctor and follow the regimen of testing that he or she directs should be done.

After speaking with your doctor and going through diagnosis and testing, you should consult with an auto accident attorney about your possible legal remedies. Your medical costs, pain and suffering and related expenses could be compensable in a personal injury lawsuit against another driver who was at fault for the accident.

If you have been hurt in a car accident in California, turn to Pulverman & Pulverman, LLP in Santa Barbara for legal advice. We have experience with cases of delayed symptoms that can mask serious or life-threatening injuries. Contact us online or call {PHONE} for a free consultation about your case.

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- $4,375,772 Arbitration award to a man severely injured as a pedestrian after being abandoned on the side of Highway 101 at 2 a.m. He was struck and injured 20 minutes later by a hit and run motorist and lost a leg and survived a lengthy coma. His arbitration award was against his girlfriend who was negligent for abandoning him on the side of the road. She disputed any liability and blamed him for being drunk. The award was reduced by 50 percent because of his intoxication.
- $3,204,934 Verdict for a man who sued an insurance company for its unreasonable refusal to settle his claim for $100,000 (policy limits). The jury determined that the insurance company acted in bad faith and the court entered a judgment for the injured plaintiff. $2,200,000 Action against international cruise line for injuries suffered on an on-shore excursion based on negligent supervision of the shore excursion provider.
- $2,000,015 Mediated settlement for a man who suffered a crushed foot in a head-on collision in the desert. $2,000,000 Jury verdict for a female motorist hit by a truck on US 101. She sustained fractures to her pelvis, femur, tibia and fibula requiring surgery. $2,000,000 Recovered for a motorcyclist who was hit by a truck and sustained orthopedic and traumatic brain injuries.
- $1,250,000 Mediated settlement for a man injured in a motorcycle accident causing a broken foot, clavicle and punctured lung. Dispute over the extent of the injuries complicated by a previously undiagnosed diabetic condition. This represented the policy limits. $1,187,704 verdict on behalf of a bicyclist who sustained shoulder, knee and rib injuries by a truck driver who violated the bicyclist’s right of way.
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