Delayed Onset of Car Accident Injury Symptoms In Charlotte

Sometimes after a car wreck, you may initially think you are okay—you may not have any immediately noticeable pain or injuries like bone fractures, cuts, or bleeding. However, it is common for car accident injury symptoms to arise later on the day of the collision or by the next morning. This is called delayed symptom onset syndrome and many victims of a vehicle collision experience it. It is caused by the fact that, when the collision happens, by natural function, your body sends adrenaline into your system–which triggers your fight or flight response. This masks your pain for a short time, but it will wear off. If, during the collision, you hit some part of your body on something hard in the interior of your car or the sudden change in momentum at the point of the impact caused your neck and head to jerk violently back and forth (whiplash), you may have injured your soft tissue, nerves, bones, brain or internal organs. You may not feel pain from these injuries immediately, but in the hours or days following the collision, you will start to feel the pain and symptoms associated with your injuries.

If you have suffered a car accident injury in or near Charlotte, the reckless or negligent driver is responsible. You are entitled to seek full and fair compensation for your injuries and damage to your vehicle even if you have suffered from delayed car accident injury onset syndrome. You will need experienced and skilled Charlotte car accident attorneys like those at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC.

If you are suffering from delayed after-accident symptoms, we recommend you see a doctor immediately. A complete examination is important so your doctor can rule out anything serious and give you peace of mind. Or, if there IS something seriously wrong, you can get the full medical attention you need.

Car Accident Lawyers In Charlotte — Delayed Onset Symptoms Not To Be Ignored

Vehicle collisions can cause a lot of damage to the human body. Here is a list of symptoms you should not ignore if they begin occurring:

Stomach Pain:

Unusual stomach pain is a delayed symptom that should not be ignored. The stomach pain could be a sign of internal injuries. Sometimes the internal injuries result from hitting something in the vehicle or from the seat belt restraints. Other times the internal injury can just be a result of the whiplash forces generated by the impact. If stomach pain is coupled with bruising and dizziness, you might have internal bleeding and should seek emergency medical attention right away.

Concussion symptoms :

There are many symptoms of a concussion including:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Vision loss
• Noticeable decline of cognitive functioning such as memory loss and word-finding deficiencies
• Confusion
• Mood swings including anger or irritability
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits

A concussion is a mild to moderate brain injury caused by a blunt force trauma to the head or by whiplash (the acceleration and deceleration forces created by the crash). If you are experiencing any delayed symptoms of a concussion or other head injury, seek medical attention immediately. These delayed symptoms may be a sign of swelling, bruising, bleeding, or damage to the brain tissue.

Back, neck or shoulder pain:

Delayed onset car accident injury symptoms are very common for soft-tissue damage. Soft-tissue injuries are often signaled by pain in the back, neck, and/or shoulder area. As discussed above, the whiplash caused by the sudden and severe acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle during the crash puts tremendous stress on all parts of the body. Such forces stretch the muscles, tendons, and ligaments causing damage for which you are entitled to seek compensation.

Soft tissue injuries usually present with pain in the area of the injury often with swelling and tenderness, as well as stiffness, discoloration, and difficulty bearing weight (for legs) or difficulty with holding, pushing, or carrying objects. Many assume a soft tissue injury is “just a sprain” and it will heal “just fine.” True, it might be a “sprain.” But there is no reason to take the risk; seek medical attention in case the injury is more serious.

In truth, soft tissue injuries can be more serious long-term than a broken bone or a laceration. A broken bone is painful, but will heal pretty quickly— generally, with a cast and some time, your bone will heal. By contrast, soft tissue injuries— to a muscle or ligament— cannot be treated so easily. Often invasive surgery is needed to repair the injury if the injury is repairable at all. And, unlike bones, it is difficult to fully stabilize a muscle or ligament which can cause re-injury and permanent damage.

Numbness or tingling:

If you are experiencing numbness or tingling— particularly if coupled with back and neck pain— you should definitely seek medical attention. These symptoms can be signs of a herniated disc or spinal injury. Obviously, nerve or spinal damage is very serious and can be debilitating. It is important to seek medical treatment to avoid any long-term degeneration of your mobility and quality of life.

Car Accident Lawyers In Charlotte — Delayed Onset Car Accident Injury Symptoms Will Not Hurt Your Case

Legally speaking, delayed onset symptoms will not hurt your case (within reason). To prove your case, you and your skilled Charlotte personal injury lawyers must prove the other driver was negligent. To prove negligence in North Carolina, the victim must prove four elements: (1) duty; (2) breach of that duty; (3) causation; and (4) injury. Because you must prove the collision was a cause of your injuries, delayed onset symptoms cannot present themselves too long after the wreck— maybe several days/weeks for symptoms of moderate to minor injuries, longer for more severe injuries. But, at some point, the defense— and the insurance company— will successfully argue that the symptoms and injury were caused by some intervening event. This is another reason to seek medical treatment and evaluation soon— if not immediately— after the collision. Not only will it give you peace of mind, but it will help your case.

Your Charlotte Car Accident Attorneys— Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC

If you have been injured in a car wreck here in Charlotte, call the auto accident and personal injury attorneys at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC. We have a team of lawyers and staff here at Brown Moore & Associates ready to help you pursue your case. We are proven auto accident attorneys. Contact our office today. We proudly serve North Carolina residents in Asheville, Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Monroe, Mooresville, Shelby, and surrounding areas.