If you were in a car accident, you should get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, even if you think you were not injured. This is because there are many types of injuries that may not manifest symptoms right away. Visiting a doctor as soon as you can after a car accident is crucial in getting the care you need, and can play a role in the success of your personal injury lawsuit should you choose to file one.
If you were injured in a car accident in the Denver metro area, please call the Frickey Law Firm at 303-237-7373 to schedule your free consultation. We are dedicated to helping accident victims get the compensation they need and deserve.
Common Delayed Onset Symptoms
Immediately after a car accident, you may feel physically fine, albeit shaken up. This may partially be due to adrenalin. A car accident is shocking and unexpected, and the adrenalin may push down any pain symptoms. In addition, your injury may not be one that is immediately obvious, and you might not know anything is wrong until a day or two later when you start feeling pain or discomfort.
Common symptoms that may not appear until days or weeks later can include:
- Chronic headaches. If you start to experience headaches, especially severe ones that may be paired with nausea or dizziness, it may be a sign that you suffered a concussion, whiplash, or other brain injury.
- Neck or back pain. Neck and back pain can be signs of a herniated disc, whiplash, or spinal cord injury.
- Numbness or tingling sensations. These can be a sign of a pinched nerve, herniated disc, or spinal cord injury.
- Abdominal pain. If you experience significant pain in the abdomen after your car accident, it could be a sign of internal bleeding or injury.
Don’t dismiss any symptoms you start to suffer after a car accident. People often have the tendency to think that their pain is not worth seeing a doctor over, especially if you don’t necessarily have the money on hand for a doctor visit. However, if you let your symptoms worsen without medical attention, it will be more expensive to treat them in the future and you will have less chance of getting the kind of money you deserve out of a car accident settlement.
Dealing with Insurance After a Car Accident
One reason it is so important to see a doctor as soon as you can after a car accident is so that the insurance companies involved will not try to dismiss your claim. If you wait too long to get medical attention, insurance companies will assume that you were not that injured and don’t need compensation.
Another thing to keep in mind when dealing with insurance is that if you are offered a settlement and accept it, you waive your right to any further compensation beyond what the settlement entails. This means that if you take the first lowball settlement offered then discover later on that your injuries are more severe than you thought, you’re out of luck. You only get what you accepted.
We urge you to call us before talking to any insurance company. We can help assess any settlement offered, and let you know what your claim is really worth.
Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation
If you were injured in a car crash, don’t hesitate to contact the personal injury lawyers at the Frickey Law Firm by calling 303-237-7373 for your complimentary, no-obligation consultation. We serve clients in Denver, Lakewood, Golden, Boulder, and nearby areas of Colorado.