Why You Want To Look For Delayed Symptoms After An Accident
A Miami car accident or truck accident can leave you, your passengers, or the driver of the other vehicle with serious or sometimes even critical injuries. However, many of these injuries don’t present themselves until after the fact—sometimes long after. Just because an injury is latent though does not mean that it cannot be serious, or that it will not significantly impact your life. Sometimes, latent injuries have the most impact as they can result in chronic pain or even severe nerve damage. For this reason, it is imperative that you keep an eye out for latent symptoms and injuries if you were involved in a car accident in Miami, Florida.
Even if you seem okay on the surface, you should be aware that you may not exhibit symptoms until well after you are home and back to life as usual. No matter how well you may feel after an accident, request a full medical examination, which you can use as evidence should you start to experience latent symptoms.
At Spencer Morgan Law, we have seen far too many accident victims relinquish their rights to compensation simply because they did not associate their symptoms with the car accident until it was too late. To avoid forfeiting your rights to compensation, keep the following tips in mind:
Do Not Take Back Pain Lightly
Many people suffer from slight back pain these days, as many people make their livings sitting at desks and hunched over computers. However, if the pain seems different somehow, or more intense, it may be a result of the accident and not your work conditions. Car accidents can damage the nerves, ligaments, and muscles in one’s back, and can even harm the vertebrae. If you feel pain shooting up and down your arms or legs, or if you back pain becomes unbearable, request a CT scan or MRI for an accurate diagnosis.
Do Not Minimize Headaches
Do not assume that a headache days after your accident is coincidence, because chances are that it is not. If you develop a headache two to three days after the accident, take it as a warning sign and schedule an appointment with your doctor right away. Headache can be a sign of whiplash, a head injury, neck injury, or even a blood clot.
Alterations in Your Mood, Personality, or Cognitive Abilities
If you notice that sometime after the accident you are tired all the time, cannot perform daily functions anymore, are more emotional, or that you are just not yourself, it may be a sign that you have a traumatic brain injury. TBIs do not present themselves right away and some people can go years without a formal diagnosis. However, the effects of a TBI will eventually catch up to you, which is why you should keep an eye out for the early warning signs of one and receive a formal diagnosis within the statute of limitations for filing an accident claim (four years).
Abdominal Swelling, Bloating, or Pain
If your abdomen starts to swell shortly after the accident, if you feel “bloated,” if your stomach is in pain or all three, you may have suffered internal injuries, which could cause internal bleeding. If you begin to feel dizzy or faint at one point, your injuries could be life threatening, in which case you would need immediate medical attention.
Protect Your Legal Rights and Hire an Aggressive Miami Car Accident Lawyer
If you were involved in a car accident in Miami, Florida, and if you walked away without any noticeable injuries, do not be too quick to celebrate. Some of the most extensive bodily harm is not noticeable until a person gets back to living their normal life, at which point the injury becomes debilitating. If you want to protect your legal rights to compensation for latent injuries, keep an eye out for headaches, back pain, swelling, and changes in personality. These could all be signs of injury and should be reported to your doctor as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the longer you wait to report an injury, the less likely an insurance company, the judge, or a jury is to associate it with the accident. A knowledgeable Miami car accident lawyer can help protect your legal rights by guiding you on what to do following an accident to ensure the best possible outcome to your claim. Call 305-423-3800 to schedule a free, confidential consultation with the legal team at Spencer Morgan Law today.
Resource:
leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0095/Sections/0095.11.html