Timeline for Symptoms After a Car Accident
Car accidents can be devastating. The following is a timeline for symptoms that may occur after a car accident.
- Immediately After the Accident
- Immediately after an accident, you may feel:
- Numbness and tingling.
- Pain. This can be sharp or dull and may increase as time goes on. The pain can radiate from your neck down through your arms and legs.
- The sensation of tightness in the upper back and shoulders. This is caused by muscle spasms or strain and can cause difficulty with breathing or swallowing.
- Difficulty breathing — especially if there’s swelling in your chest or throat area.
- Shock — this is an emotional reaction to the trauma of being involved in an accident and can cause you to feel dizzy, faint or nauseous; sweat; have an increased heart rate; tremble; have trouble sleeping; have nightmares about the accident; have difficulty concentrating; feeling anxious or irritable; or become depressed or withdrawn from others.
Contact a reliable New York car accident lawyer as soon as time allows. Good lawyers and attorneys from reputable law firms are critical to making sure you come out as the winner in any legal battle.
What Happens Right After A Car Accident?
This is not meant as medical advice, but it can help you know what to expect after an accident. Immediately after the accident, you will likely experience:
- Shock or disbelief. You may feel stunned and shocked. This can last for hours or days.
- Your body will be sore from being thrown around inside the car during the crash. Your head may hurt as well if it is impacted against something else in the car, such as another occupant of the vehicle or an object inside of it (such as the steering wheel).
- Nausea and vomiting may also occur immediately after an accident. This is often due to shock but can also be caused by pain medication taken at a hospital emergency room after the accident or by medications prescribed by your doctor later on.
Minor Vs. Moderate Injuries
A car accident is a traumatic event. It can cause severe physical injuries, emotional trauma, and even death. It is important to know what to do after a car accident so that you do not miss any crucial timeframes for medical treatment.
Note that regardless of the type of injury, you should always contact a good New York car accident lawyer or attorney from a well-reputed law firm.
Minor Injuries
Bruises, cuts, and scrapes are common injuries from car accidents. If you have minor injuries like these, you should seek medical attention immediately after the accident if possible. But if you cannot get medical treatment right away, do not worry — it is best to wait until morning or later in the day when you will not be so tired before going to the hospital or urgent care center.
Moderate Injuries
Moderate injuries include fractures (broken bones) and whiplash-type symptoms from jerking motions during an accident. These types of injuries can occur even in low-speed collisions if there is enough force involved in the crash. If you have moderate injuries from a crash, seek medical attention immediately after being treated for any major bleeding or other life-threatening conditions first