Delayed Pain After an Accident in California
If you were involved in an accident, you may have thought you were fine at first. However, as the hours and days pass, you may be experiencing pain and other symptoms of an injury. Delayed pain after accidents is not uncommon, but it can be challenging to present a legal compensation claim when your symptoms were not immediately apparent and you did not seek immediate medical treatment.
If you were injured in an accident and are now experiencing pain, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at Allen Law Firm. We can advise you on the next steps to take to protect your personal injury claim and how we can help when you call for a free case review.
Why Is Pain Delayed After an Accident?
Pain may be delayed after an accident because the body may experience a surge of adrenaline in response. Adrenaline can increase the body’s pain threshold, so you may not notice pain immediately after an accident. This effect can last for several hours to a day after a traumatizing event.
Also, you could be experiencing shock, which can cause disorientation and fatigue.
What Should I Do If I Start Experiencing Pain After an Accident?
If you begin to experience pain or other delayed symptoms after an accident, follow these steps to protect your legal rights:
Monitor Your Symptoms
Pay attention to the symptoms you are experiencing, as they may be able to indicate the type of injury you suffered in the accident. For example, pain while moving your neck, stiffness, a chronic headache, and neck discomfort can indicate whiplash. Abdominal pain or swelling can indicate an internal injury. Back pain, numbness, or tingling can indicate a spinal cord injury. Track your various symptoms, including your pain levels.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you think you can suffer through the pain, seek a doctor’s opinion. A doctor can check for signs and symptoms to determine your injuries. Also, your visit can help support your insurance claim.
Notify the Insurance Company
Even if you initially told the insurance company you were not injured, you can still pursue a personal injury claim. Inform the insurance company of your pain and that you have sought medical treatment. It will be harder for the insurance company to deny your claim if there is a written report of your injuries.
Document Your Injuries
Seeking medical attention will help build a file that shows your injuries. The sooner you seek treatment, the more closely related they will appear to the accident. You can also take additional steps to document your injuries, including taking pictures of them as you recover and maintaining a pain journal in which you describe your pain and other symptoms each day.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
An experienced personal injury lawyer can help prepare your insurance claim. Car accident lawyers are aware that not all injuries are immediately apparent and can help build your claim even if there was a delay in your pain or medical treatment. A personal injury attorney can handle communications with the insurance company to prevent you from saying anything that could harm your claim. In some situations, they may be able to hire an expert witness to explain how delayed symptoms happen and that your injuries are linked to the accident.
How Do Insurance Companies View Delayed Symptoms?
Insurance companies often use delayed symptoms as an excuse to deny personal injury claims. They might claim that you were not injured because you did not seek immediate medical attention. Or, they may argue that you are blaming some subsequent injury on the accident.
Because insurance adjusters want to avoid paying you fair compensation for your claim, it’s crucial to work with an experienced lawyer who can present your best arguments and evidence of your accident-related injuries.
Consequences of Ignoring Delayed Pain
Ignoring pain can be dangerous to your health. Pain is a symptom of something wrong, so it probably won’t go away simply by ignoring it. You could be making your condition worse by ignoring pain, potentially exacerbating your injuries and causing additional health issues. Additionally, ignoring pain can adversely affect your legal claim because the insurance company can deny that you were injured or that you did not mitigate your injuries, costing you a significant loss of money.
Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer?
In some cases, insurance companies contact accident victims immediately after the accident and make a quick settlement. However, you should be very cautious about accepting this offer. You may not realize the extent of your injuries at this point and may not realize the value of your claim. If you accept a settlement offer, you could lose substantial money you may have otherwise received if you had waited to settle your claim later in the process.
Do not accept a settlement offer or sign anything from an insurance company until you consult an accident attorney. Allen Law Firm offers a free, no-obligation case review, so you can learn more about your legal rights and how we can help when you schedule yours today.
Contact Our Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you were recently involved in a car accident or other personal injury matter in California, do not delay in speaking to an experienced accident lawyer. The legal team at Allen Law Firm can review your case, connect you to medical providers for proper diagnosis and treatment of your injuries, investigate all at-fault parties responsible for your injuries, and fight for the financial compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free case review to discuss your specific situation and learn more about how we can help.
