What to Know About Personal Injuries & Your Health

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When you're involved in any type of accident, it's important to undergo a checkup and begin treatment as early as possible. From a legal standpoint, failing to seek prompt treatment can negatively impact your ability to seek damages from the at-fault party's insurance company. More importantly, delaying treatment can cause your condition to worsen, inhibiting the effectiveness of any treatments that your condition requires.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

A traumatic brain injury is one of the most serious types of injuries you can suffer in an accident. This is because the effects may be long-lasting or permanent. The brain is surrounded by a membrane that serves as a cushion between the brain and the skull. However, this barrier isn't enough to protect against the violent, jarring motions that are common in auto accidents, slips and falls, and direct head contusions. In these instances, the brain can be slammed against the inside of the skull, resulting in tissue and nerve damage. The symptoms of this type of injury can be difficult to notice. They may start with mild headaches, lightheadedness, or brief fainting spells. If you don't receive treatment right away, the damage to brain tissue and nerves in the brain can become permanent. Even if you do receive treatment, it may be difficult to entirely counteract the damage done to the brain's cognitive functioning. Your prognosis will depend on the area of the brain that has been affected and the severity of the injury.

Spine and Back Injuries

If you experience any type of soreness or discomfort in your back after having been involved in an accident, you should undergo a medical examination immediately. While most people dismiss this type of soreness as the result of bruising of the back muscles, it may be a sign of a much more serious condition. Back soreness and discomfort can also be the early signs of slipped discs, spinal cord damage, or other spinal column injuries. If the problem isn't diagnosed and treated early, you may experience lifelong back problems as a result. A back injury can impede your mobility and prevent you from continuing your line of work. If it is a spinal cord injury, your central nervous system may be affected, and that can lead to partial or full paralysis.

Whiplash

If you experience pain in your neck shortly after an accident, it may be a wise precaution to consult a New York personal injury attorney. Whiplash is another type of injury that may be difficult to recognize right away, but one that can have serious and long-lasting consequences to your health. The jerking motion that's common in auto accidents can cause tissue and muscle damage in your neck. While you may not feel it right away, the pain that results from the tearing of tissue in the neck can manifest within a couple of days. However, if you undergo a medical exam immediately after your accident, your doctor can diagnose and treat whiplash sooner.

Internal Bleeding

You can be doing more harm to yourself than you realize when you put off a medical checkup after you have been involved in an accident. This is especially true for serious auto accidents since they are the types of accidents more likely to cause internal injuries. Internal bleeding or organ damage won't be visible to the naked eye, but that doesn't mean it's not harming your health. If internal bleeding continues without treatment, it could lead to significant blood loss and death. Bruised or damaged internal organs may also stop functioning, leading to a coma or death. An exam can uncover internal damage sooner, allowing you to undergo life-saving treatment earlier.

Burn Injuries

The immediate treatment of burns will affect how well you can recover in many cases. While you can suffer serious burns in car accidents, second and third-degree burns can also result from accidents in kitchens, near caustic chemicals, or anywhere there's a risk of fire. Serious burns may permanently damage the skin, leaving scars and inhibiting mobility for the individual. The scarring that burns leave behind can also be painful. Additionally, emotional health can be affected since scars from burns can affect self-esteem and confidence. Burns can also affect the quality of life by preventing the individual from continuing with their chosen career.

Conclusion

There is also a time limit on how long you have to pursue an injury claim. For that reason, you should consult an attorney and see a doctor as soon after the accident as possible. If you delay too long, you may no longer be eligible to seek any damages for your injuries.