What to do with Delayed Injuries from Car Accident
Sometimes accidents happen with minor damage to the car. While the damage to the car may be minor, it does not always translate to minor injuries. Whiplash, for example, is very common to happen in rear-end accidents. Whiplash usually develops within days of the injury that may include neck pain, loss of range of motion in neck, headaches, tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms, and fatigue.
These are 3 things you need to know if you experience delayed injuries from a car accident:
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1. Document Your Injuries As Soon As Possible
It is very possible that people do not feel any pain right away at the time of the accident, even when they were taken to the emergency room or seen by medical professionals right after the accident. One of most common injuries is whiplash. Some people may not feel any pain in their neck or shoulders until a few days later when they tried to lift something.
Although many scientific articles have explained how “minor damage = minor injury” are proven wrong, many insurance adjusters still use it as leverage to “lowball” the value of your personal injury case. It often makes you question yourself if your injury is indeed related to the accident. When delayed injuries occur, it is very important to see a medical professional right away, have it checked, and eventually well documented. You also need to communicate this well with medical professionals; making sure that the medical provider knows that such symptoms did not happen before the accident, for example.
2. Make Sure to Seek Treatments
Once you experience delayed injuries from car accidents and after it is well documented, then it is also very important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Adjusters often use “gap in treatment” as their way to decrease the value of your case. From their perspective, if a person is in pain, they should seek treatment right away. While this may be true, there are some other factors that can delay treatments such as delayed injuries themselves, getting appointments with medical professionals, or, as we see often nowadays, COVID-19.
3. Yes, it is still Possible to File A Bodily Injury Claim with Delayed Injuries
Some people tend to back off from filing a bodily injury claim when they experience delayed injuries, mostly because they do not want to deal with the hassle proving to the insurance adjuster that their injuries are related to the car accident. This is when you need a personal injury attorney. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to estimate the value of your case and come up with a strategy to prove that the medical treatments you seek, though delayed, are reasonable, necessary, and related to the car accident you were involved in.
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If you or your loved ones are injured in a car accident, do not hesitate to contact us at 206-492-7720 or Zaskia@HLG.Lawyer for free initial consultation.