Car accidents are traumatic events. Even minor collisions can cause serious physical injuries. Usually, it is easy to immediately determine whether you have been physically injured after a car crash. However, some symptoms may have a delayed onset.
If you are experiencing delayed onset injuries after a car accident, let our team help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Call Shaw Cowart LLP today to get started with a free initial consultation.
Common Injuries with Delayed Symptoms
Many people assume any injuries they sustain in a car accident will be easily detected. However, this is not always the case. Delayed onset of symptoms can cause complications for insurance claims, lower your settlement offer, and ultimately result in injured parties receiving less than full compensation for their loss.
Delayed symptoms of injuries have many causes, but one of the most common is adrenaline. Adrenaline can mute the symptoms of injuries to the back, neck, head, and soft tissues. Additionally, psychological trauma – generally PTSD – may not manifest until days or even weeks after a car accident.
Common injuries that result in delayed symptoms include:
Whiplash
Injured parties experience whiplash when their heads are violently and swiftly thrown forward in a car accident. However, some people do not notice the effects of whiplash until days after a collision.
Back Pain
Soreness after a car accident is common and it can be tempting to shrug this off as a problem that will go away. However, some people do not experience more severe symptoms – like pain during daily movement or when lying down – until days or weeks after a car accident.
Abdominal Pain
Some injured parties do not connect abdominal pain to a car accident. In high-speed accidents, pressure from the seat belt can cause abdominal dysfunction, including nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and damage to internal organs. Symptoms are not always readily apparent and can take days to manifest.
Common Insurance Complications
Unfortunately, delayed injuries from car wrecks do not always follow the timeline of insurance claims. Companies have deadlines for filing a claim after an accident, with most policies refusing to accept claims filed more than 30 days after a collision.
Delayed injuries make navigating insurance claims more tricky because catching and resolving these injuries may necessitate multiple visits to doctors across several weeks. Insurance companies look out for their bottom line and adjusters will be cautious of covering anything they are not legally required to pay. Insurance agencies will be quick to deny coverage of injuries that are not initially reported concurrently with a claim.
The complexities that arise in claims involving delayed injuries are one of the many reasons individuals injured in collisions should hire an experienced attorney to handle their claims. By hiring experienced counsel, you will be able to rest and recover knowing experienced legal advocates are securing your rights.
Call Shaw Cowart LLP Today
If you or a loved one are experiencing delayed injuries after a car accident caused by someone else’s reckless driving, you need a passionate advocate fighting for your legal claim.
Our attorneys can help gather critical evidence and negotiate with your insurance company to prevent a low settlement or denied claim. This means you are free to focus on receiving exceptional medical care and recovering from your injuries rather than worrying about whether insurance will cover your injuries.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.