Some auto accident injuries may be apparent immediately, but others take time to show. Drivers in Georgia might think they didn’t get injured, but the body’s fight and flight response can mask symptoms. Several injuries could result from a car accident that are not obvious to individuals at first.
Whiplash
Whiplash causes strain on the cervical spine, which runs from the top of the spinal column to the shoulders. The heavy force of an accident causes the neck muscles to jerk back and forth violently out of alignment.
Whiplash often gets overlooked if accidents occur at low speeds or accidents from side-impact, but this injury can happen at 10 mph and in any type of accident. Whiplash may cause shoulder or neck tightness and tenderness, chronic headaches, loss of full range of neck motion and pain that radiates to the arms.
Concussions
Headaches commonly get mistaken as a sign of whiplash, but they could be a sign of a concussion or another injury. The same jerking motion involved with whiplash also occurs with concussions, usually resulting from hitting the steering wheel, dashboard or an airbag violently.
Drivers commonly overlook this injury because they don’t lose consciousness, but concussions can still happen without losing consciousness. Some common signs of a concussion include mood swings, fatigue, dizziness, balance issues, trouble concentrating, memory loss and blurred vision.
Mental issues
Not all accidents involve injuries, but the mental impact can linger for a long time after injuries heal. Sometimes, signs of mental stress get pushed aside while drivers focus on healing their physical injuries.
A driver may develop a strong fear or phobia of driving, or they might have flashbacks of the accident, a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental conditions can affect daily life and make physical symptoms worse.
Drivers injured in a motor vehicle accident have the right to recover damages, including pain and suffering. They may want legal representation to assist them.