Car accident injuries may vary from small cuts, bruises, or broken bones to several other far serious internal traumas. However, no matter what the injury, you should be confident that your doctor will know how to treat it. But what if the injury you sustained was undetectable and the symptoms won’t show until after you have left the hospital?
Symptoms Are Sometimes Hidden
On average, over 10,000 people are injured each year in D.C. car accidents. In some of these instances, the victim appears to be perfectly fine but after several days or weeks, painful symptoms from hidden trauma begin to show.
Several factors may cause the injury to be hidden or missed. A few examples are:
- The primary injury may be masked by a lesser problem. One common soft tissue injury is whiplash. Whiplash generally begins as just soreness or stiffness in the neck. This can be misidentified a pulled muscle. However, if it is whiplash, it can develop into extremely painful neck and muscle problems.
- Medical equipment can’t detect slow bleeding or swelling. Identifying the symptoms of a concussion can be difficult. Often, the victim must be able to determine the severity of his own injury, since medical equipment can’t judge how painful a headache is nor how tired the victim has been. Pressure in the skull may also take time to build, causing the pain to worsen over time before the brain trauma becomes detectable.
Contact a Fairfax Car Accident Injury Lawyer
If you believe that you may be a victim of a hidden car accident injury, the Washington D.C. car accident lawyers at Shevlin Smith encourage you to seek medical attention immediately. We know how scary and confusing accidents can be, so once you’re treated, please contact us at 703-721-4233 for a free consultation about your accident. Remember, you don’t have to go through this alone.