Why injuries show up later
A crash or a hard fall sets off your body’s stress response. Your heart beats faster and you feel very alert. Stress can also dull pain for a while, an effect researchers call stress-induced analgesia. When the stress wears off, pain you did not notice at the scene can start to show.
Some injuries also take time to develop. Whiplash symptoms most often start within days, and internal bleeding can be sudden or build up slowly. Feeling fine at the scene does not mean you were not hurt.
Symptoms to watch for
Watch for these signs in the hours, days and weeks after an accident, and tell a doctor about any of them.
Whiplash
Neck and back pain
Neck pain and stiffness, headaches that start at the base of the skull, pain in the shoulders or upper back, and tingling or numbness in the arms. Symptoms most often start within days, according to Mayo Clinic.
Concussion
Head injury
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, trouble concentrating or remembering, feeling slowed down, or sleeping more or less than usual. The CDC notes that some symptoms may not appear for hours or days.
Hidden injury
Internal bleeding
Dizziness or lightheadedness, weakness, nausea, shortness of breath, a faster heartbeat, or swelling and bruising on the belly. Vehicle accidents and other trauma are the most common cause, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Post-traumatic stress
Emotional effects
Upsetting memories or dreams about the crash, trouble sleeping, feeling on edge, or avoiding driving. PTSD symptoms usually begin within three months, and sometimes later, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
When to get emergency care
Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away if you, or someone who was in the accident with you, has:
- A headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Repeated vomiting, slurred speech, seizures, or one pupil larger than the other
- Confusion, unusual drowsiness, or trouble waking up
- Weakness, numbness, or loss of coordination
- Dizziness, shortness of breath, or a racing heartbeat after a hard hit to the body
Sources: CDC concussion danger signs, Cleveland Clinic on internal bleeding. General health information, not medical advice.
What to do in the days after an accident
- Get checked soon, even if you feel fine. A doctor can look for injuries you cannot feel yet. If symptoms start later, go back and say they began after the accident.
- Tell every provider how you were hurt. Say when and how the accident happened, and describe each symptom, even small ones. That puts the link between the accident and your injury in your medical records.
- Keep a symptom diary. Each day, write down what hurts, how bad it is, and what you could not do, such as work, drive, lift or sleep.
- Follow the treatment plan. Go to follow-up visits and therapy, and keep every bill, receipt and record.
- Be careful with the insurance company. Before you give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement or sign anything, talk to a lawyer. Do not accept a settlement until you know how badly you are hurt.
How delayed symptoms affect an injury claim
When symptoms start days after an accident, the insurance company may question whether the accident caused them. An adjuster may point to the gap between the accident and your first doctor visit, or suggest something else caused the pain.
Records made soon after the accident help answer those questions: the crash or incident report, photos, your medical records, your symptom diary, and a doctor’s explanation of why this kind of injury can appear later.
If an insurer is disputing an injury that showed up late, a McAllen car accident lawyer can gather the records, deal with the adjuster and document the care you may still need. For falls and other accidents, our personal injury lawyers in McAllen handle those claims too.
Texas deadlines still apply
Delayed symptoms do not stop the clock. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the day the claim accrues. Texas courts generally count from the day of the injury, even if the injury is discovered later, and allow only narrow exceptions.
Claims against a city, county or the state can have an earlier first step. Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a government body is entitled to notice of the claim within six months of the incident, and a city charter can set its own notice period (§ 101.101).
Because these rules have exceptions, talk to a lawyer well before any deadline.
This article is general information. It is not medical or legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Read our disclaimer.
J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Licensed in Texas, admitted to the Southern District of Texas. Handles personal injury and immigration cases at Alex Martinez Law.
