Motor vehicle collisions can cause severe injury and sometimes even death. However, the vast majority of crashes only cause property damage. People involved in collisions without obvious signs of injury often think of the collision as an inconvenience. They want to move on with their day as quickly as possible.
In some cases, a driver’s desire to make it to an appointment or get to work as soon as possible after a collision could lead to serious consequences. Although making a detour to a medical facility increases the disruption of crash causes, it is often a smart decision. Many drivers make a point of seeing a medical professional after a crash for their own protection.
Not all crash injuries are obvious
Someone with a severe fracture in their leg may not be able to exit their vehicle because of the pain their injury causes. Those with moderate to severe brain injuries may end up unconscious after a crash in some cases. Obvious injuries can force people to seek out immediate medical care.
Less obvious injuries are sometimes easy for people to overlook. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often invisible, at least at first. It can take days of bruising or inflammation for someone to develop symptoms that force them to go to the hospital.
The same can be true of other forms of internal bleeding. Someone with trauma to the abdomen could lose blood internally without realizing it at first. They may require emergency care days later when they start feeling dizzy due to the amount of blood they have lost.
Some broken bones are stable and allow people to move like normal initially after they get hurt. People with soft tissue injuries may not notice any pain or functional limitations until the day after the crash in many cases.
Invisible injuries and conditions with delayed symptom onset are relatively common after collisions. The only way people can protect themselves is to see a medical professional capable of diagnosing their injuries. The sooner someone has a proper diagnosis, the easier it is for them to get the treatment they require.
They may also have an easier time getting proper compensation when the diagnosis immediately follows the crash. The longer someone goes without medical evaluation, the easier it is for insurance companies to raise questions about the origins of their injuries.
Seeing a medical professional after a motor vehicle collision can potentially protect someone from worsening symptoms and major expenses. Not all crash injuries are obvious, and people may need help evaluating themselves after a wreck.