There were 6,756,000 police-reported car accidents in 2019. 1,916,000 of those car accidents involved injuries.
If you or someone you love has been in a multi-car accident, you know how traumatizing it can be. Often the shock of the accident leaves victims disoriented and not even aware of the level of their injuries.
It isn’t until after the shock of the accident settles that many of the symptoms of an injury really appear. That’s when you need a car accidents lawyer to help you with your case.
Read on to learn more about potential injuries related to the confusion you might feel following a car accident and what you should do to get help. You’ll need to choose a car accident lawyer who can help you with your case.
Delayed Visible Signs of an Injury
It’s not uncommon for car accident victims to feel as though they don’t have an injury following the immediate hours and days after a car accident.
Being in a car accident can be such a shock to your system. Your body is experiencing the flight-to-fight response. You have a significant dose of adrenaline pumping through your body.
It’s common for an accident victim to want to wave off medical help or even believe they don’t have injuries.
It isn’t until after the accident that the injuries, pain, and confusion sets in.
Common Hidden Injuries
Life-threatening injuries will show themselves right away, usually. Yet, you can sustain long-term impactful damage that might not present itself immediately.
Let’s take a closer look at some of those possible hidden injuries you might get in a multi-vehicle accident.
Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common car accident injury. You might be surprised that it can take days, weeks, or even months to present itself with symptoms.
A TBI happens when your head hits the inside of the car as the accident occurs.
This type of injury can result in forgetfulness, getting agitated frequently, and confusion as the symptoms start to present following the accident.
Back and Spine Injury
The impact on the body in a multi-vehicle accident can be immense. Another common injury, as a result, is a back and spine injury.
The spine takes on much of the impact when you get forcefully thrown on impact. You might leave an accident thinking you have a sore back. Maybe your back muscles feel tender.
Often, the reality is that a back injury is more severe. A back injury can even present symptoms like head and neck aches because of the trauma to the spinal column.
Head, Shoulder, and Neck Injury
One of the most common car injuries, especially those that don’t occur immediately, is head and neck injuries.
Upon impact in a car accident, often your head is snapped back and forth with such force. Even if you’re secured with a seatbelt, your head will snap with the impact. This is called whiplash. This is called whiplash.
Shoulder injuries are also common with impact. The body is thrown in one direction, and the shoulders move with the impact.
Headaches
It’s not uncommon for accident victims to suffer from headaches following an accident. These can be the type of headache that gives you a confused, foggy feeling, or they can be severe sharp pain headaches.
Headaches can indicate several things following an accident. The accident victim could have a concussion or other type of TBI.
Headaches can also happen when the neck or even spine has been injured too.
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is not uncommon following an accident. Often the seatbelt or the steering wheel hit the accident victim in the abdominal region.
You may feel soreness following the accident. Soon though, the abdominal region is covered in bruising and swelling. This could indicate internal bleeding.
Changes in Personality and Physical Function
There are some signs to watch for following an accident. This should be especially problematic if you feel there were no initial injuries. Traumatic brain injuries like concussions can have some long-term impact on a victim.
A patient might feel:
- Impaired thinking
- Memory problems
- Confusion
- Movement issues
- Problems with vision or hearing
If you or someone you love starts to show signs of depression or personality changes, these are warning signs of a more significant type of TBI injury following an accident.
PTSD
It’s not an uncommon occurrence for an accident victim to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder following an accident. They might have sudden flashbacks to the accident.
A person might have nightmares about the accident and its impact. It can make an accident victim feel more confusion and even fear about riding or driving a car.
Common Types of Head Injuries from a Car Accident
Head injuries are common following a multi-vehicle accident where the impact may come from multiple directions.
These head injuries could be less severe yet still impactful. They might include symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Mild confusion
- Temporary tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Dizziness or balance issues
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Irritability or fatigue
- Sleep disruption
- Trouble concentrating or remembering
Sometimes these mild head injuries don’t present themselves until days or weeks after an accident.
More severe head injuries will likely require more immediate medical attention. These might include symptoms like:
- Severe headaches that don’t go away or get worse
- Losing consciousness
- Locked-in syndrome
- Nausea or vomiting that doesn’t go away
- Slurred speech
- Clear fluid leaking from the ears or nose
- Seizures or convulsions
- Short-term memory loss
- One dilated pupil
- Open head wounds
Even if there’s a chance of an injury, an accident victim should also be checked out by medical professionals following an accident.
The most common types of head injuries include:
- Contusions (bruises on the brain)
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Intracranial hemorrhages (ICH)
- Diffuse axonal injuries (DAI) from the brain moving inside the skull
Any of these types of damages can lead to the confusion an accident victim might experience following an accident.
Diagnosing a Head Injury
You may go for medical attention following an accident. The doctor will look for poverty signs of injury like cuts, lacerations, bruising, or bleeding.
When head injury symptoms present themselves later after an accident, you need to seek medical treatment to diagnose the issue.
Diagnosis of a head injury might include:
- X-rays images of the brain and skull
- CT scans and MRIs for detailed pictures of the brain
- EEGs that record brain activity
- Blood tests to check for unnatural changes in your body
It’s important to share even the most minor symptoms, like feelings of confusion, with medical professionals. This can help in the diagnosis process.
Holding the At-Fault Driver Accountable
The type of injuries described so far can impact an accident victim’s life. It can often have even long-term impacts.
You may be thinking about how to recoup your expenses for care and lost wages.
Many accident victims leave the scene of an accident and want to wipe the experience from their mind. Yet, it often doesn’t take long to realize you want to hold the at-fault driver accountable, especially as symptoms from injuries hang on or get worse.
The first step in that process is finding a car accident lawyer who can handle your case.
Damages from a Multi-Car Accident
When you choose a car accident lawyer, you want one who is experienced in calculating damages from the impact of your accident.
Damages can include things like:
- Medical bills
- Prescription medications
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
You want to find a car accident lawyer who is experienced enough to consider the long-term impact of a head injury carefully.
Dealing With the Insurance Company
Most people choose their insurance company because they want to know they are protected when they get into an accident. The truth is that most insurance companies don’t like to pay out settlements.
It’s not uncommon for the insurer of the at-fault driver to try to quickly make a settlement offer, hoping the victim will take it before getting a lawyer.
You want to be careful about what you say to an insurance company. Most attorneys recommend you don’t talk to them and let them handle the insurance companies for you.
Choosing a Car Accidents Lawyer to Fight on Your Behalf
If you are the victim of a multi-car accident, you want the best car accident lawyer you can find working on your behalf.
Multi-car accidents are complex because many parties are involved, often wanting the other party to take responsibility.
You want to hire an experienced lawyer with proven results who will know how to fight for the compensation you deserve. This type of lawyer knows how to calculate the long-term impact of your injury to ensure you get the justice you deserve.
Hire a Car Accident Lawyer for Your Case
A car accidents lawyer will understand the impact of an injury from a multi-car accident. Often the injuries sustained in these kinds of accidents have a prolonged effect on the victim’s life.
Do you need a Houston, Texas, car accident lawyer to help you with your case? Contact us today so we can get started fighting for you and the compensation you deserve.