Most people inspect themselves for injuries after car crashes. They move their limbs, check for blood and otherwise try to assess themselves. They can then ask for emergency medical support if necessary or seek out immediate medical care after they meet with police officers to put together a crash report.
In some cases, people hurt in collisions do not immediately recognize their injuries. Some injuries are invisible to casual observers. Others take time to develop. The risk of invisible injuries and delayed-onset symptoms makes medical care critical after a car crash.
What injuries can people overlook?
Many people assume that a person with a broken bone knows immediately that they need medical care. That isn’t necessarily true. Fractures can remain in a stable position with the bone aligned. People can go days or longer without realizing they broke a bone.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are also easy to overlook. The inflammation or bleeding inside the skull does not necessarily cause instantaneous symptoms. Instead, the damage slowly progresses over time, with symptoms developing long after the initial injury.
Internal bleeding is also difficult to identify without proper medical evaluation. It could reach life-threatening levels before the injured person realizes they need medical care. The people involved in crashes severe enough to leave others with injuries or leave vehicles unsafe to drive may have injuries they don’t notice right away.
Seeing a doctor after a motor vehicle collision allows for prompt medical diagnosis. People who undergo proper medical evaluation after crashes can also strengthen their claim for compensation later. The sooner after a crash a doctor identifies injuries, the clearer the connection between the motor vehicle collision and associated injuries.