What to Expect After Being Injured in a Car Accident

When a car accident occurs, life changes in ways that you were expecting. Medical treatments, staying at home or in a hospital, surgeries, stress, fear, anxiety are just several things accident victims deal with. Many people don’t know what to expect physically after a car accident happens.

https://roweandhamilton.com/auto-accident-lawyer-indianapolis-in/Being injured in an accident can be very traumatic, and you should always seek legal help. An Indianapolis car accident attorney will help you deal with all the things that an auto accident brings.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are common after a crash. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons can easily sustain injuries after a collision. Torn muscles and ligaments bring harsh pain, which may not occur right after the accident. But, if you feel pain in your arms or legs, neck, and back, then it may be a case of whiplash. Don’t believe it will go away on its own and seek medical help immediately. 

If the pain stops you from doing everyday things and lasts for more than a few weeks, your doctor may treat you with pain relievers, massage therapy, chiropractic care, or epidural steroid injections. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries

This sounds scary, but it’s a term to describe a brain injury that was caused by an external trauma like a fall or a car accident. These injuries are common, but that doesn’t mean that you should take it lightly. Your brain is a delicate organ and requires medical help. If you hit your head in the accident, seek medical help right away. These are the common traumatic brain injury symptoms:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Sleep problems
  • Changes in mood
  • Nausea
  • Changes in mood

Seek emergency medical help if you experience confusion, loss of consciousness, vomiting, slurred speech, or other unusual symptoms.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can be quite scary because not every victim will experience the symptoms right away. The person may feel entirely normal in the first few days. Spinal cord injuries usually happen in serious accidents, but a person can experience this injury in a minor accident. 

Most often this type of injury will result in paralysis. In most cases, the injury is permanent, although many patients regain their movements after a while. An injured person can suffer from paralysis without severing their spinal cord entirely. A spinal cord injury is an emergency, so it’s important to seek help in the emergency room if you feel numbness in your spine, loss of movement, extreme pain, or loss of bladder or bowel control. 

Broken Bones

This injury is visible and felt instantly. You will know if you have a broken bone. Fractures cause excruciating pain when they happen. This injury is accompanied by swelling and bruising. If it’s an open fracture, the bone will stick out from the skin. If you aren’t sure that the bone is broken, seek medical help immediately. If you aren’t sure you have a fracture, still seek help. The doctor will determine if the bone is broken with an x-ray. Delaying medical exams and treatment can only worsen the case and may cause permanent damage. 

Your doctor will treat you with a cast (to stabilize the bone and prevent further injury), a traction to relight the bone, pins or screws to keep the bones in place until surgery, or a brace to allow you movement.

The treatment will depend on the severity of your fracture.

Many people experience chronic or recurrent pain even after the bone is entirely healed. If this is your case, you may have a case for pain and suffering (seek damages from the at-fault party)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

This is a very common mental health disorder that occurs after a traumatic event. PTSD is often associated with military duty, it can easily occur in car accident victims. The person may relive the accident through flashbacks, nightmares, or may have the challenge to put the events behind them. The treatment for this involves therapy with a therapist who may involve medications.

Seeking damages for such disorders (including depression and anxiety) may be difficult since these damages are more challenging for counting compared to economic damages.

However, a good car accident attorney would know how to do it.

After the accident, your only goal should be to heal and feel better. Instead to seek the claim by yourself and get lost in the legal chaos, allow a skilled car accident attorney to take care of your case.

Get a free consultation for your case at Rowe & Hamilton. 

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