What Can I Do If I Didn’t Notice and Report Injuries Right After My Car Wreck?

Many car wreck injuries are acute and obvious from the moment they occur. A broken leg, cuts and lacerations, burns, or other external injuries to the extremities happen at the time of the accident and are visible to the naked eye.

However, not all injuries are external, nor obvious at first. In fact, for many people, delayed injury symptoms present themselves after a crash, and it may take a few days for injuries to “set in.” If you have delayed injuries and are worried about whether your claim will be denied because you did not report your injuries immediately, here is a look into what you need to know:

Injuries that Commonly Appear Later

There are several types of car accident injuries that commonly appear later on and may not be apparent the moment that a crash occurs. These include:

• Soft-tissue injuries and whiplash – Soft-tissue injuries usually take a day or two to set in and show symptoms. However, once they do set in, they can be very painful and debilitating. As soon as you notice symptoms of the injury, you should seek medical treatment.
• Concussions – Concussions, unless they are very serious, rarely have immediate symptoms (such as loss of consciousness). Instead, symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, vomiting, depression, or lethargy may appear later. In fact, it is not uncommon for minor concussions to go undiagnosed entirely.
• Emotional and psychological injuries – A person who is in a car accident may develop psychological injuries as a direct result of the crash. These injuries can take months to manifest and may include conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression. In some cases, the psychological injuries may manifest as a result of other injuries (i.e. a person who loses the ability to walk develops depression as a result).

Let Us Fight for the Compensation You Deserve

An insurance adjuster may attempt to deny or lowball your claim based on the fact that you failed to seek treatment for injuries immediately following your accident. The insurance company may try to prove that the injuries for which you are now requesting damages are not related to the accident. At The Bob Richardson Law Firm, we understand that injuries can take time to manifest, and we believe that this should never compromise your claim. We will work hard to prove that your injuries are directly related to your car accident, and that you deserve to be compensated for them as such.

If you have questions about how to prove the validity of your injuries or what to do if your claim is denied, do not hesitate to contact us. Our experienced Austin car accident lawyers will pursue full and fair compensation for you. To schedule a free case review, contact us today online or by phone.