Experiencing a car accident can be a scary event. It puts the body into a state of extreme stress, activating all those primal reactions meant to keep you alive. Once the adrenaline wears off, however, you may find that your body and mind have suffered a trauma.
While a few bumps and scrapes are common after a fender bender, some accidents cause more insidious injuries that aren’t always detected right away. Here are six common car accidents to watch out for and how to get help when you discover them.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury that occurs in the neck and upper back when your body is moving and then forced to stop quickly. At the moment of impact, your body will stop moving, but your neck will continue to go forward before being halted back. This causes trauma to the muscles, tendons, and nerves in your neck.
It typically takes a few hours to a few days for the full effects of whiplash to become apparent. You’ll notice stiffness and pain in your neck. Depending on the severity of the injury, you might experience numbness or pain in your arms and trunk, as well as dizziness and nausea.
According to expert car accident Attorney Brian White & Associates, whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries. However, the fact that it’s common doesn’t make it any less serious or time-sensitive. Many of those who have whiplash experience chronic pain and limited mobility, requiring extensive physiotherapy to help correct the injury.
It’s important to seek medical attention immediately following an accident. If the pain or numbness in your neck and the upper body continues after a few days, seek the help of a physiotherapist or other medical professional.
Concussion
The mechanics of a concussion are similar to what happens in whiplash. In this instance, your body stops moving, and your brain continues propelling forward, causing it to bump or jolt and experience trauma. While it may not seem like much at the time, a concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury that can lead to cognitive issues and even death.
Like whiplash, a concussion may not be immediately apparent. Loss of consciousness or vomiting are clear signs of a concussion. However, the effects may also be more subtle, such as short-term memory loss, difficulty focusing or communicating, lethargy or confusion.
Again, seeking immediate medical treatment will help identify a concussion. If you suspect you or a passenger has a concussion, don’t leave them alone. Follow medical recommendations and watch for continued symptoms in the days and weeks following the accident.
Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is a subtle yet serious injury that’s difficult to detect. To the untrained eye, internal bleeding often looks like a bad bruise. If left unchecked, internal bleeding can cause death.
In the hours following an accident, be on the lookout for dark purple bruises and abdominal tenderness. If you start to feel sick or dizzy, seek medical help immediately.
Broken Bones
Broken bones are another common occurrence after an accident. While some breaks are readily apparent, others are harder to detect while adrenaline is coursing through your body.
The most common broken bones after an accident are the ribs and nose. Rib breaks are typically caused by the impact of a seatbelt, while the nose often breaks from the steering wheel or airbag contact. It’s important to understand that if you sustain an injury from an airbag or seatbelt, the damage would have been significantly worse if those safety measures weren’t present. The potentially dangerous impact of an airbag is also why it’s so important to put children in the back seat.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries often get overlooked after a motor vehicle accident. Many people never make the connection that their knee issues could have been caused by the accident, as the problems don’t appear immediately.
This form of injury is colloquially called “dashboard knees,” as it’s caused by the impact on the dashboard during an accident and is one of the most common knee injuries that people may suffer in their lifetime. This event could also lead to a ligament injury. If you develop knee pain in the months following your accident, document the issue and seek medical attention.
PTSD
Sometimes the gravest injuries aren’t to the body, but to the mind. As a car accident can be incredibly traumatic, it’s not uncommon to develop anxiety, depression, or PTSD. While it’s natural to feel tremendous stress or anxiety in the days and weeks following the accident, continued mental health issues can indicate something deeper is going on.
If you start experiencing mood changes, insomnia, a sense of disconnect with reality, or flashbacks, you could be suffering from PTSD. Reach out to someone you trust and seek medical assistance to help you process your experience and develop healthy coping methods.
Seeking Compensation for MVA Injuries
The medical issues resulting from a car accident are costly. This financial burden can exacerbate your medical issues by putting extra stress on your body and mind as you try to heal.
Calling a car accident attorney following the event can help you secure the compensation you need to support proper healing. Remember, it’s better to call and not need their services than it is to discover you need help after the statute of limitations has passed.
Give your body time to rest and recover after an accident, and be mindful of these common injuries.
