Reportedly, most Americans, including many in Michigan, are likely to be car accident victims three times in their lives. Impairment, speeding, reckless and aggressive driving, distractions, fatigue, disregarding stop signs and traffic lights, and other forms of driver negligence are all preventable causes of car accidents. A significant percentage of crash injuries only become evident several days after the crash.
Inconspicuous injuries
Injuries could range from superficial scratches and contusions to severe life-threatening injuries. However, many injuries are inconspicuous immediately after the accident. The rush of adrenaline brought on by the shock could hide pain, and without open wounds or apparent injuries, crash victims might be unaware of some potentially severe internal injuries.
Sometimes, car accident victims experience dizziness, headaches, sharp pain, swelling or fuzziness hours or several days later. If they declined a trip to the hospital after the crash, their injuries might not be linked to the accident. The following are some of the most frequently overlooked car accident injuries:
- Whiplash: The rapid, forceful movement of the head upon impact could cause soft tissue injuries.
- Concussion: Whiplash could cause brain trauma, also called a traumatic brain injury.
- Headache: This is an often overlooked red flag that could indicate severe brain-related injuries.
- Fractures: Partial or complete fractures could cause life-threatening hidden internal organ injuries.
- Psychological disorders: Post traumatic stress disorder often follows witnessing catastrophic injuries or death of loved ones.
The lack of immediate diagnosis and treatment could have more consequences than physical and emotional harm. If another party’s negligence caused the accident, injured victims of Michigan car accidents might have grounds to pursue financial and emotional damage recovery. However, if hidden injuries were not recognized as crash-related, medical expenses might not be recoverable in a personal injury lawsuit filed in a civil court.