Everyone who experiences a car accident should receive a medical assessment from a doctor, even if they do not have visible injuries. Some victims emerge from the wreck without any visible injuries and feeling no pain, which they assume means the accident didn’t hurt them. Unfortunately, many injuries that do not cause immediate pain can cause serious long-term complications. Worse than that, some injuries that do not cause pain can even become fatal.
Delayed pain injuries can include head injuries, neck and back injuries, muscle damage, internal blood loss, and organ damage, among others. Some of these injuries can develop long-term symptoms that leave victims with lasting pain, but early detection by a doctor can sometimes reduce recovery time and even avoid some serious results of the injuries entirely.
If you experience a car accident, don’t put off going to see a doctor. Your recovery may take time, and you deserve to have all the tools and resources you need to protect your health and your rights.
Deadly injuries
If a victim suffers damage to their organs or has internal bleeding, they may not realize they have an injury at all until it is too late. Severe internal bleeding is extremely difficult to treat and can kill a victim within minutes. However, very slight internal bleeding also poses a serious threat if it does not receive treatment quickly. Without proper care, small internal injuries are vulnerable to infections, and an infection that grows strong enough can easily enter a victim’s bloodstream and travel throughout their body. Once the infection spreads, the victim enters sepsis, which is both painful and deadly.
A victim who suffers organ damage may not feel any pain at first, either. Typically, a victim’s body will attempt to heal the damaged organ using natural processes, and it may succeed. However, if the body does not heal the organ, it will eventually shut it down completely. When one organ ceases to function, the other organs follow.
Protecting your rights
One of the strongest ways you can protect yourself after an accident is by receiving a medical assessment from your doctor. You may discover hidden delayed pain injuries and avoid months or years of misery and needless medical expenses, and the documentation from the examination is crucial if you need to build a personal injury claim.
A strong claim in Iowa seeks fair compensation for your medical expenses and other losses, as well as compensation for your suffering. Be sure to make it a priority to protect your own wellness and rights after any car accident. Contact Ball, Kirk & Holm today!