Symptoms of hidden injury after a collision

You can never know what to expect while driving along a Delaware highway. As a licensed driver, you understand that you are obligated to adhere to traffic laws. You can reasonably expect other drivers to do the same, whether you’re sharing the road as a fellow motorist or as a passenger in someone’s car or as a pedestrian. Driver negligence causes many serious injuries and fatalities every year.

If you’re involved in a collision, you might not know right away that you have suffered injuries. In fact, it is possible to have hidden injuries, many of which could suddenly progress, placing you in a life-threatening situation. This is why prompt medical attention and continued close monitoring are so important when a driver has hit you while traveling by motor vehicle, bicycle or on foot.

Report these post collision symptoms immediately

When rescuers responded to the scene after a Delaware driver hit you, they likely performed a preliminary medical examination to check you for injuries. If you were bleeding or had an obvious broken bone, they would have taken immediate action to start treatments. In the days and weeks that follow a collision, it’s important to pay close attention to how you feel.

If you develop a headache, facial or jaw pain, ringing in your ear, difficulty thinking or speaking, or you feel dizzy or nauseous, you might have a traumatic brain injury. Other symptoms of this condition could include vision impairment, unsteady gait when walking, metallic taste in your mouth, or bruising under your eyes or behind your ears. Also, if fluid leaks from your nose or ears, seek immediate medical attention.

Other types of hidden injuries after a collision

Besides possible brain trauma, you might have internal bleeding, whiplash or a spinal cord injury. These conditions are not always immediately apparent. Upon impact in a collision, the blunt force trauma may have thrust you forward and back in a jarring manner. It’s not uncommon to think you’re okay in the immediate aftermath of a crash, then feel a lot of pain and discomfort in your neck or back later on.

If you experience tingling or numbness anywhere in your body, it’s a good idea to return to the hospital or report these symptoms to your primary care physician, making sure that he or she knows you were in a recent collision. Such symptoms may occur with a herniated disc or other spinal injuries as well as brain trauma.

Getting the care that you need to achieve as full a recovery as possible

You might wind up needing surgery or having to make repeated visits to various doctors or specialists in order to seek treatment for hidden injuries following a motor vehicle collision. You may also need physical therapy, psychological counseling or other support during recovery.

Such care is expensive, and there’s no reason you should carry the full financial burden associated with a collision that another driver caused through negligence. Delaware law allows recovering accident victims to seek compensation for damages against those deemed responsible for their injuries.