Car accidents can cause many types of physically visible and treatable injuries such as cuts, bruises, and broken bones. However, some internal traumas, like whiplash and brain injuries, are harder to see and therefore harder to diagnose and treat. Generally, these types of injuries take time for symptoms to develop, even though the injury has already occurred.
Hidden Trauma Can Often Go Unnoticed
To make sure you haven’t suffered from one of these hidden traumas, you must remain alert to any physical, emotional or mental changes you may experience in the days, weeks, or months following the accident.
Signs of Internal Head Trauma
Whiplash, concussions, and severely sprained muscles can start to show painful symptoms within a few days after the initial injury. Your doctor will be able to judge the severity of the injury by your description of the pain and noticeable changes. The symptoms you should watch out for are:
- Severe headaches
- Range of motion difficulties
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Memory Loss
- Dizziness or loss of consciousness
Swelling, bruising or other brain injuries can take longer for their symptoms to really show their severity. A slow bleed or swelling can take weeks to drastically affect the body, but at that point the damage could become permanent. Pay special attention to any mood changes or headaches, and seek immediate medical attention if there may be a possibility that your accident could have caused head trauma.
Speak With a Fairfax Head Injury Lawyer Today
Being injured in a car accident is an extremely scary experience. If you or a loved one has been in a car accident that has caused trauma, hidden or otherwise, please contact the Fairfax car accident lawyers at Shevlin Smith for a free consultation. We know what you’re going through, and you don’t have to do it alone. For help and answers, call 703-721-4233.