The sounds of crunching metal, the smells of vehicle fluids and the violent motions of your vehicle may be the first indications you get that you are involved in an accident. When your vehicle finally comes to rest, it will most likely take you a few minutes to digest what just happened.
At that point, you may begin thinking about your safety. You try to get out of your vehicle and assess the situation. If you are able to move around, you could inadvertently believe that you did not suffer any serious injuries. In fact, you may decide not to accept an ambulance ride to a hospital. However, that could prove a potentially life-threatening mistake.
Just because you don’t see any outward signs of injury…
Many of the injuries you could suffer in a motor vehicle accident do not immediately have outward signs, if at all. For instance, you could suffer from internal bleeding and not know it right away. Adrenaline and shock could prevent you from noticing the following symptoms:
- Shoulder or chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid breathing
- Heavy sweating
- Lightheadedness
- Severe headache
- Rapid heart rate
- Weakness
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea or vomiting
- Tingling feet and hands
- Vision changes
- Numbness
- Pain
You could experience other symptoms as well, depending on where the bleeding occurs. Those above only represent common ones. For example, bruising could develop in the abdominal area if that is where the trauma occurred. The amount of blood does not indicate the severity of the internal injury. Even a small bleed on your brain could prove fatal without quick medical intervention.
The most prudent and safe course of action is to seek out medical attention as soon as possible after a car accident. It never hurts to make sure you didn’t suffer from a sneaky but severe injury such as internal bleeding. If it turns out you need medical attention for this injury, you could end up hospitalized for treatment specific to your condition.
Pursuing restitution
If you suffer from internal bleeding, you could face a lengthy recovery. During that time, you will probably need time away from work and extensive medical care. As time goes on, the financial losses continue to increase. The last thing you need during this time is to worry about money.
If your injuries resulted from the negligence of another party, you could pursue compensation for your financial losses, along with other damages allowable under Pennsylvania law.
Contact an Easton organ damage lawyer to learn more.
