You may be able to physically get up and walk away from the scene of your personal injury accident feeling “fine.” However, in the months, weeks, days, or even hours afterwards, the pain may begin slowly creeping in, and you may feel anything but okay. Well, you may be surprised to learn that this is actually a common experience amongst accident victims. But there are steps you can take to not only protect your physical and emotional well-being but the future of your legal positioning during this critical time. With that being said, please follow along to find out what happens to your potential accident claim if your injuries do not show up right away and how one of the proficient Prince George’s County injury lawyers at Miller Berman can help you collect the evidence needed to support your legal stance.
Is it normal for accident injuries to appear later on?
Science has proven that after a traumatic event, your body naturally releases adrenaline and other types of stress hormones. These hormones may temporarily mask feelings of initial pain, especially when it comes to conditions like muscle strains, soft tissue injuries, and internal damage. What’s more, inflammation may only develop gradually over the next 24 to 72 hours, so soreness, swelling, stiffness, and pain may intensify gradually.
What’s more, head and neck injuries like concussions and whiplash are common injury types after a personal injury accident. They may not appear in standard medical imaging at first, but symptoms like headaches, dizziness, fatigue, etc., may arise over time. If you do not keep up with follow-up medical evaluations and treatments, these once-considered minor injuries may manifest into a typically untreatable traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.
Can I still file a claim if my injuries show up later?
To reiterate, it is a commonly accepted concept that most bodily injuries associated with personal injury accidents show up later. However, for the sake of your personal injury claim’s success, you must do yourself a favor and prove that this argument applies to your specific experience. In other words, you must draw a direct connection between your accident event and the occurrence of your injuries.
Likely the best thing to help support this is seeking emergency medical services straight from the scene of your accident, regardless of whether you think or feel like you are hurt. After all, medical technology and observations from medical professionals may pick up on things you cannot. Plus, if you do not do this, the defendant can easily argue that you incurred your injuries in another event. Or, that your injuries cannot be so serious if you did not treat them right away.
If you are confident in your ability to win a personal injury claim, and even if you are not, please team up with one of the talented Prince George’s County injury lawyers from Miller Berman. We will take your strategy to the next level and give you the sureness you need to enter legal battle. Give us a phone call today.
