Checking for injuries after a car crash is nearly instinctual. Most people inspect themselves and the passengers in their vehicles for clear signs of traumatic injuries. They may notify local authorities about their injury concerns when they call for help after the crash.
However, not all injuries are obvious at the scene of a car wreck. Some people only discover their injuries much later. Their injuries may progress until they get treatment. They could also have a difficult process ahead if they pursue compensation from the driver at fault for the crash.
How long does it typically take for injuries to manifest after a motor vehicle collision?
Symptoms can develop weeks later
Some crash injuries are all but impossible to overlook after a crash. Lacerations, dramatic fractures and a number of other serious car crash injuries are identifiable at the scene of a wreck. There are immediately visible injuries or symptoms that impact their function.
However, there are a host of stable or internal injuries that people could sustain that take longer to present symptoms. A person who hits their head and develops a traumatic brain injury could go days or even weeks without any major symptoms.
People with internal bleeding in the torso could go days before blood loss becomes apparent. Those with injuries to their digestive tract caused by blunt force trauma might manifest serious injury or infection symptoms weeks after a crash.
It was also possible for people to suffer broken bones or spinal cord damage that doesn’t seem immediately obvious. Then, when they experience a secondary trauma or exert themselves, they may suddenly have severe injury symptoms.
Car crash injury symptoms can manifest quite some time after the initial incident. The longer it takes for symptoms to develop, the more difficult it may be for the injured person to hold the right party accountable. Seeing a doctor after a car crash can help people diagnose their injuries and get treatment that can prevent them from worsening.
Those with significant injuries and delayed-onset medical challenges may face a more complicated compensation process after a motor vehicle collision. A timely diagnosis may help those affected by collisions pursue justice.
