Can You File a Personal Injury Claim if Symptoms of an Injury Don’t Show Up Right Away?
The best advice after a personal injury event like a car accident is to seek medical attention as soon as possible. There are two excellent reasons for this. The first is that prompt treatment and care can improve your outlook for healing and recovery. The second is that obtaining medical attention without delay documents your injuries and can more easily link them to your injury accident, which can support your claim should you take legal action.
It is not uncommon after minor accidents or incidents where those involved don’t see or feel an injury right away to put off seeing a doctor. A car accident victim may initially think that since they didn’t feel bad or see anything right away, they were not hurt. However, as some time passes, symptoms can start to show up from an injury that was sustained from their injury accident. When this happens, a delayed symptom injury may have been suffered.
If you have questions or need assistance with a personal injury claim, call a Portland personal injury attorney at Rosenbaum Law Group.
Understanding Delayed Symptom Injuries
You could have been in a slip-and-fall accident at a local business, or you may have been in a car accident, but you didn’t feel any pain or see any physical harm right after your accident. Though, within a few hours or even a couple of days, you may notice some troubling symptoms like a headache that won’t go away, areas of your body that are tender to the touch, stiffness in your joints, or an inability to concentrate and go about daily life. If you did not obtain medical attention right after your accident and you start to notice that you are not feeling well, you should get to a medical professional immediately.
Whiplash is an example of an injury you can’t see, and the symptoms may not immediately appear. In time, though, the discomfort and suffering can begin to be noticed and even become substantial.
Another injury that may not show symptoms instantly is internal bleeding. If you start to feel intense dizziness, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or if you begin to lose consciousness, then you could have a serious injury like internal bleeding. Internal bleeding can be life-threatening, so getting yourself to a doctor quickly is essential.
The bottom line is that you may not necessarily feel like you are injured right after an accident, but that doesn’t mean you are not. That is why even if you are unsure if you were injured in an accident, you see a medical professional as soon as you can. A doctor can examine you, and if there is a problem, they can begin treating you. If you didn’t see a doctor right after your accident, though, then the minute you start to experience delayed symptoms, you should see one.
It is always better for a personal injury claim to see a doctor shortly after an accident. Though if you had a delayed symptom injury and you waited to see a doctor, as long as you start the claims process before the statute of limitations, then you may be able to still recover compensation for your losses.
Speak to an Oregon Personal Injury Attorney Today
Delayed symptom injuries can be severe and require extensive medical treatment and care. If you were injured in an accident and would like to file a personal injury claim, you are welcome to call a Portland, OR personal injury attorney at Rosenbaum Law Group at (503) 288-8000 to schedule a free consultation.
Source:
redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/bleeding-life-threatening-internal
