Delaware collisions often result in hidden injuries

When you travel on Delaware roads, you’re always at risk for injury, whether you’re driving a motor vehicle, riding as a passenger or traveling as a pedestrian. As a traveler, however, you can reasonably expect that every motorist in your vicinity will adhere to traffic laws and regulations for safety. In other words, if everyone on the road is obeying the law, chances are good that you will safely arrive at your destination. If a driver is reckless or negligent, you might suffer injuries if a collision occurs.

The sudden impact of a motor vehicle collision can do serious, immediate damage. It’s imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible if you’re involved in a crash. It’s equally important to allow ER physicians to examine you even if you are not aware of any visible injuries. This is because many serious injuries may not be immediately apparent.

Injuries that might not immediately present

If you hit your head on a dashboard in a motor vehicle collision, you might receive a severe laceration or lump on your head which would be visible to rescue workers. The following list includes injuries that might occur that are not always immediately apparent:

• If another car hits you, especially from behind, your upper body might be thrown forward and back in a sudden motion. This jarring can cause the muscles, tendons or nerves in your neck or back to suffer injury, but the symptoms of the injury might be delayed, which is why you should closely monitor your condition for weeks after a crash.
• An airbag might deploy upon impact, hitting your chest with great force. You may or may not have visible bruising, broken ribs or other upper body injuries from the impact, but not seeing signs of injury doesn’t necessarily mean you are not injured.
• In the days and weeks that follow a collision, it is critically important that you pay close attention to how you feel. If you have headaches, confusion, trouble sleeping or eating, jaw pain, vision impairment, ringing in your ears, or other delayed symptoms, you might have suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash.
• Internal organ damage is another type of injury that does not always produce immediate, visible symptoms.

It’s always a good idea to stay closely connected to a medical team if you’ve been involved in a collision. Don’t worry about calling your doctor too often or returning to the hospital if you don’t feel well. Medical teams are trained to know what to look for if it’s possible that you might have a hidden injury after a car accident.

Medical treatment is expensive, and you might have to take time off work during recovery. There is no reason you should have to endure severe financial distress if another driver’s negligence or reckless behavior was the causal factor in the collision that resulted in your injuries.  As a result, you may want to consider you legal options for seeking compensation.