After a car accident, one of the first things people do is take inventory.
Can I move? Am I bleeding? Does anything hurt?
If the answers seem reassuring, it is easy to say, “I’m fine,” exchange information, and go home.
The problem is that your body does not always give you an immediate and accurate report.
Some injuries take time to show up
A crash is a stressful event. Your body may release adrenaline, and your attention is often focused on everything happening around you. The damaged car. The police officer asking questions. Whether you can get home. Whether you need to call your spouse. Whether you are going to be late picking up the kids.
Pain can become much more noticeable later.
Neck stiffness, back pain, headaches, soreness, limited movement, dizziness, and other symptoms may develop or become more obvious in the hours or days following a collision.
That is why I tell people to pay attention to how they feel after they leave the scene, not just how they felt standing next to the car.
Be careful about making absolute statements
You do not need to exaggerate an injury after an accident. You also do not need to minimize one.
If someone asks whether you are injured and you genuinely do not know yet, saying that you are not sure is different from declaring that you are completely fine.
Your job at the scene is not to diagnose yourself.
If something feels wrong, take it seriously
If pain or other symptoms appear after an accident, consider getting evaluated by an appropriate medical professional. Apart from protecting your health, medical records can help establish when symptoms began and what treatment was recommended.
Waiting weeks while hoping something disappears can create another problem. An insurance company may later question whether the condition was actually connected to the accident.
Document what changes
You do not need to turn your life into an evidence collection project, but keeping simple notes can be useful.
Write down when symptoms started, what activities became difficult, appointments you attended, and changes you noticed in your daily routine.
Those details are surprisingly easy to forget several months later.
You don't have to know everything on day one
Immediately after a crash, most people have no idea what the next few weeks will look like.
That is normal.
Take care of yourself, pay attention to changes, keep important documents, and avoid making assumptions about an injury before you understand what is happening.
If you have questions after an accident in Palm Beach County, my office is here to help you understand your options.
Aaron R. Coven Law
561-540-3636