The moments after a car crash can be scary or confusing, but many accident victims don’t feel immediate physical pain. In fact, it’s common for victims to refuse treatment from paramedics because they don’t feel seriously hurt. Unfortunately, if you’re in a car crash, you can suffer significant injury and not know it immediately.

That’s why it’s a good idea to always talk to a personal injury attorney if you’ve been involved in a crash — even if you don’t feel hurt right away. Delayed car accident injuries that can become evident days, weeks or even months later can require intensive treatment whose costs can add up quickly. Here are just a few of such injuries:

• Bruising and internal bleeding. You may not see any kind of bruising on the outside of your body, but you could be suffering from internal bleeding in a major organ such as the liver or spleen. This type of injury is often difficult to detect without an MRI or other medical scan.
• Neck, back and joint pain. Whiplash is one of the most common delayed car accident injuries due to its ability to cause soft tissue damage that might not show up right away. In addition, chronic neck and back pain could indicate spinal cord damage that wasn’t apparent at first. Joints can also be affected by delayed car accident injuries, causing lasting stiffness and weakness.
• Nerve damage. If you feel tingling, numbness, or weakness in your arms and legs after a car accident, you might suffer from nerve damage that wasn’t immediately apparent. This type of injury can be challenging to diagnose because its symptoms may not appear until weeks or months after the initial crash.
• Concussion. The force of the accident can cause your brain to hit your skull and result in a traumatic brain injury. If you experience headaches, vision changes, difficulty concentrating, trouble balancing, or any other unusual symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible.
• Blood clots. Blunt force trauma can result in blood clots. Blood clots that break loose and travel to your lungs or brain can be fatal. Accordingly, it’s essential to have them diagnosed and treated.

You can recover damages after a delayed car accident injury

A delay in symptoms and treatment after a car crash could make it harder to prove the connection between your symptoms and the accident. However, the experienced Kansas City car accident attorneys at Foster Wallace LLC can use your medical record and other evidence to make the connection so that you make a fair recovery.

If you’ve been hurt, we encourage you to contact our legal team as soon as possible so that we can evaluate your case and, if appropriate, pursue compensation for past, current, and future:

• Medical expenses. You can recover compensation for your health care expenses related to the car accident. This includes hospital bills, doctor visits, physical therapy, and any other costs associated with treating your injury.
• Lost income. If you have been unable to work due to the effects of the delayed car accident injury, you may be eligible for lost wages, benefits, and income from self-employment. Your attorney can help you document your missed hours or weeks so that you will receive full reimbursement for all of your lost income.
• Pain and suffering. In addition to economic damages, you may also be able to recover damages for pain and suffering caused by the delayed car accident injury. Proving pain and suffering is sometimes difficult, but an experienced attorney can help you document your distress and pursue the appropriate compensation.

Together, these damages can make a significant difference in your recovery.

Don’t delay contacting an attorney after a car accident

We understand how devastating a delayed car accident injury can be, and we are here to help ensure you get the full financial recovery you deserve. Simply fill out the contact form on this page or call (816) 320-6810 to set up a consultation with the Foster Wallace legal team today.