Every day, numerous Illinois residents are involved in motor vehicle accidents. The vast majority of these collisions are minor fender benders and thought to be no big deal. The truth is, even a minor car accident can cause you to suffer injuries — you just may not know you have received an injury right away.
Delayed-onset injuries are a real thing. Pain and other injury symptoms can take hours, days or even weeks to present themselves. If you are experiencing delayed-onset injuries following a car crash, you may seek compensation for your losses.
What are some common symptoms of delayed-onset injuries?
There are quite a few, and sometimes it can be difficult to determine if your symptoms are related to the accident or if something else may be causing them. If you experience any of the following symptoms in the hours, days or weeks following a collision, you may want to seek medical attention right away:
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Pain in the shoulders and neck
- Nerve issues
- Mental health issues
- Abdominal pain
Your symptoms may not mean anything significant, but then again, they may. For example, abdominal pain can mean you are bleeding internally. Headaches can mean you have a concussion or other serious traumatic brain injury. Nerve issues, such as numbness, tingling, weakness or pinching, can mean you’ve suffered an injury to your spine. It is better to have a physician check to make sure you are okay than to ignore injury symptoms.
Do not be quick to sign release of liability forms
Following a minor accident, it is common for the responsible party’s insurance provider to get victims to sign release of liability forms. Once signed, victims do not have the right to pursue any further compensation outside of the agreed-upon settlement terms. You have time to sign a release of liability. Do not let an insurance provider pressure you into signing prematurely. Seek medical attention before signing the release to make sure the settlement terms actually cover your losses.
Injuries suffered in a car accident can affect you physically, financially and emotionally. Help yourself by taking the steps necessary to seek compensation for your losses — both those known now and any projected losses — by seeking medical treatment right away and refusing to accept a bare-bones settlement offer without first seeking guidance on the matter.