Car accidents are very involved events in life. From the moment you’re driving and then sliding directly in to another car, things go from any shade of normal to complicated. Ensuring that your passengers and yourself are okay is the most important thing to do directly following an accident. After you’re sure and have the ability to, check on the car that was also involved in the accident. Try and remain calm through this time as well. It’s not an easy situation for anyone involved, no matter how often you have been in a similar spot.
Even if the car accident seemed horrific, totaling your car and leaving glass on the streets, you might appear and feel like you’re okay. Let’s hope this is the case, but sometimes injuries don’t show up right away. The adrenaline rushing through our bodies after an accident keep us energized in a way that neutralizes the pain receptors in our brains, telling us that we are okay when we actually aren’t. Even if injuries aren’t quite noticeable, if the accident was bad enough, it is certainly best practice to go ahead and get checked out anyway. What could it hurt?
Type of Post-Accident Injuries?
There are a few things that our bodies are subject to after a collision involving motor vehicles. There are broken bones, soft tissue injuries and concussions.
Broken bones are self-explanatory but, just for thoroughness, let’s go over them. Broken bones are the most noticeable injury of the three that are listed here because, if the bone is broken, then it just seems like your limbs aren’t working wherever that bone is located. Extreme amounts of pain, along with partial disfigurement of the bone, are serious tells that the bone could be broken and needs to be looked at by a professional right away.
Soft tissue injuries are difficult to diagnose because not only can they not be seen by human eyes, they also don’t show up in X-rays. Whiplash, internal bruising and damage to tendons are different types of soft tissue injuries.
Concussions occur often in bad car accidents. They can actually be a result of whiplash, which is the act of your body being jerked rapidly in one direction, while ultimately staying in the same spot. Your skull protecting your brain acts as a shield to your brain, but it doesn’t necessarily keep your brain from moving. Concussions are difficult to diagnose sometimes because the symptoms don’t always show up right away. Some of those symptoms could be, but are not limited to: nausea, dizziness, confusion and temporary amnesia.
What to Do?
After your car accident you’ll have to file a claim with your insurance company stating that you have been in a car accident. The insurance company will begin its investigation to determine which driver was at fault. Later down the road a deposition could be necessary. The paperwork from your insurance company will have you sign a statement saying that you’re in good health, reporting on the damage that happened to the car and things like that.
If you have not yet gone to the doctor, you’ll need to do that before you sign the papers. If you respond to your insurance company saying that you are not injured in any way, there is no chanced of them covering your medical bills under the insurance that you have already paid for.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Don’t settle and sign before it’s time. Partner with a personal injury attorney to make the journey easier. For all questions that you may have during your post-accident recovery, contact the personal injury lawyers at the McMahan Law Firm for your free case review.
