After being involved in a car accident in Illinois, you might think that your injuries will be immediately obvious. There are some injuries, however, that could take a few days or even weeks to show symptoms.
Neck
A common injury that’s a result of car accidents is whiplash and issues with the neck. This is due to the head and neck jerking in one direction, typically forward, in a fast manner. An injury that you could think is just a sore muscle might be something significant, such as a tear to the muscle. You could experience stiffness in your neck as well as bruising, swelling, and severe pain.
Head injuries
The head could be injured in a few ways if you’re involved in an accident, resulting in a brain bleed or a loss of consciousness. Any symptoms that you notice that pertain to your head should be examined as soon as possible, such as a lingering headache, nausea, dizziness, or loss of memory. A CT scan or an MRI can usually be performed to detect any injuries to the brain that have occurred.
Internal complications
There are several internal areas of your body that can be injured in an accident. Muscle tears are quite common and might not be noticeable for a few days afterward. You could have internal bleeding that you might not notice for a few hours or days later once you begin to see bruising on the skin.
Any accident that you’re involved in could cause injuries that are severe but that you might not realize are present until much later.