Even if you believe you are unharmed after an auto accident in Atlanta, Georgia, it is important to be assessed by a medical professional to make sure.
Primary Health Concerns After a Collision
A roadway collision can present hidden health risks. For example, a collision can make a previously existing condition worse. Novel health problems that may be the result of a car collision include:
- Concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Sprains or soft tissue injuries
- Chipped teeth or dental problems
- Spinal problems or whiplash
- Cracked ribs
- Difficulty swallowing
Whiplash alone can give a person life-threatening concussions that they may not notice. The sudden change of direction in a car accident can cause hidden injuries to a person that may get worse in the coming days. These are signs that you should consider seeing a doctor after a car accident even if you are not hurt.
There are a number of legal, financial, and health reasons to visit a medical clinic after a crash. It is a commonly understood practice to seek medical attention after any auto accident because everyday people are not trained to spot latent or hidden medical problems that can be potentially fatal.
If you find that an injury appears after an accident that a doctor should have caught but didn’t, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Consult with an Atlanta car accident lawyer to understand what you must do from now on to recover damages and get your life back on track. An experienced lawyer will guide you through the process, communicate with all parties involved, negotiate a settlement, or even represent you in court if that is the case.
For a free legal consultation, call (404) 888-8888
What To Do After An Auto Collision
Calling emergency services is an important first step, especially in states like Georgia, where Georgia Motor Vehicles and Traffic Code § 40-6-273 requires accidents involving injuries to be reported to authorities as soon as possible by the quickest means of communication. If you do not choose to call the police after your Georgia roadway accident, you could lose the ability to recover any compensation you may be entitled to if the insurance company uses this code in its defense.
After calling the police, write down the police report number so you can ensure the report is accurate and shows you are seeking proper medical attention. Even if you, yourself, are a doctor, it is important to get a second opinion. If you incorrectly diagnose yourself, you fully own the consequences of being wrong.
Risks of Not Seeing a Doctor After a Car Crash
If you wait to see a doctor after a crash, the at-fault party can argue that you were injured in the days after the accident but before you saw the doctor. The longer you wait to see a doctor, the more your legal and health risks potentially grow.
There are other health problems that may appear in the days or weeks after a car crash if you suffered head injuries, such as:
- Changed personality
- Amnesia
- Speech impediments
- Degraded motor skills
- TBI-related coma
People can experience dangerous amounts of force in a roadway collision, leading to potential brain damage through whiplash. According to Atlanta truck accident law firms, this can happen without the victim’s head needing to hit anything else in the vehicle.
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Why You May Not Notice a Bodily Injury After an Auto Accident
Hormones like adrenaline spike to numb your pain after an accident. This hormone, also known as epinephrine, is a neurotransmitter that focuses and energizes a person while acting as a painkiller. This is why people often do not perceive their own injuries after a vehicular crash. However, after the adrenaline wears off and a person returns more to their baseline metabolism, the pain can set in. This is another reason why it may be important to seek medical attention after a roadway accident even if you do not feel hurt.
If people experience the shock of a roadway collision, it can change their lives in an instant and be enough to lead to a condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Even if your symptoms are not physical, your mental health may be affected after an accident, and PTSD includes symptoms such as:
- Inability to focus
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Lack of motivation
- Depression
Each of these symptoms may lead to serious concerns of their own, and should be dealt with through medical treatment. Psychologist or therapist attention is valuable and important if a person thinks they might have PTSD or related symptoms. The risk of latent PTSD, as well as other aforementioned conditions, are reasons you should see a doctor after a car crash even if you do not feel hurt.
If you have more questions about this topic, or believe you may be entitled to compensation for injuries suffered in a car accident, call the team from Bader Law Injury lawyers at (404) 888-8888 for a free consultation.
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