It is instinctual for people to inspect themselves for signs of significant physical injuries after a car crash. They may move their arms and legs and look at themselves to see if there are any obvious cuts or bruises. After performing a brief evaluation of one’s body, people then generally feel confident reporting their condition to first responders.
They may tell the person who answers when they call for assistance that there is no need for medical support. Although people often assume that they would quickly spot the signs of catastrophic injuries after a collision, the truth is that some very serious injuries don’t manifest immediately. People potentially overlook these common injuries in the aftermath of a car crash and, as a result, accident victims shouldn’t be so quick to decline medical assistance.
Injuries related to internal bleeding
When people have internal injuries after a wreck, they may not have any immediate symptoms. It is often the slow continuation of blood loss or building pressure that leads to major symptoms and medical risk for the person hurt in a crash. For example, a traumatic brain injury TBI might not seem obvious at the scene of a crash. However, the person injured might have a worsening headache or may start feeling confused or chronically fatigued in the days following the crash.
Internal bleeding in the abdomen or chest can also be of serious concern following a collision. Internal bleeding in the skull or torso can progress without intervention and might eventually lead to hospitalization, permanent side effects and death.
Stable musculoskeletal injuries
People tend to assume that traumatic injuries to the spine or skeleton would be obvious right away, but that isn’t always true. Some fractures or broken bones are intensely painful and require immediate attention. Other times, the broken pieces of the bone remain aligned, which means that people may need to experience some kind of secondary trauma or intense exertion for the injury to become apparent. Even spinal cord injuries can sometimes be stable, meaning that people can continue to move and walk until additional pressure or trauma leads to further damage to the spinal cord.
Especially in scenarios where vehicles are no longer safe to drive because of the force of impact or where other people involved in the crash have serious injuries, securing a medical evaluation after a collision can be a smart choice even when people don’t seem to have immediate symptoms. Recognizing that potentially life-altering injuries may take time to manifest symptoms may help people to take informed steps for their own protection after a Louisiana car crash.
