Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Handling Personal Injury Claims in the Seattle Area and Throughout Washington Since 1995

My name is Chris Thayer and I am a personal injury attorney practicing in downtown Seattle. I handle personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims throughout the greater Seattle area, including Issaquah, Mercer Island and Kirkland.

I am here to help you.

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Five Post-Car-Accident Signs to Look Out for

Posted Friday, April 3, 2020 by Chris Thayer

Alternative TextImmediately following your involvement in a car accident, you may have been feeling physically O.K. at the crash scene. You may also have felt as though you sustained merely minor injuries or no injuries at all. Nevertheless, adrenaline frequently masks both severe and life-threatening injuries, so it is important to look out for these five post-car-accident common signs of serious injuries that are not often noticed or recognized immediately by victims immediately following a car accident.

*Traumatic Brain Injury *Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are one of the most commonly sustained injuries in auto accidents. TBIs are extremely serious medical problems, which can cause anything from moderate to extreme brain injuries. Although brain injuries are often not noticed immediately after an incident, a survivor of a car accident may experience significant cognitive dysfunction days after the impact of a car accident (or even weeks later). Traumatic brain injuries can leave patients with an inability to think clearly, issues with motor skills, issues with balance, depression, nausea, changes in personality, disorientation and more for months or even permanently.

*Spinal Cord Injuries *Spinal cord injuries are oftentimes severe and can lead to partial or complete paralysis. For most cases, however, these forms of injuries may be readily apparent, while in other cases they may take hours or days to show themselves. Backs may feel sore after a car accident, and some people may believe their discomfort is just physical, and not a serious injury to their spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries can, however, cause someone to become a paraplegic, quadriplegic, or tetraplegic.

*Whiplash *Whiplash is a serious and significant injury that can occur in virtually any car accident. In certain cases, whiplash may remain largely untreated and undiscovered. Adrenaline can mask a lot of pain and damage. People can also feel somewhat sore the day after the incident, so they never know how serious their injury may be until a few more days pass. Whiplash can be very dangerous, however, and could cause permanent damage if left untreated. Whiplash also causes significant discomfort and can require months of therapy.

*External Injuries *Sometimes an accident victim may find a few minor scrapes and bruises after a car accident. Such small scrapes and/or bruises may be the warning sign that the traumatic effect of a car accident has caused severe internal injuries. These injuries are typically never visible to the naked eye and sometimes the extent of these injuries can only be determined by a trained medical professional. Following an incident, a doctor or medical professional will be able to provide you with a full medical examination to decide whether any internal injuries are present.

*Bone Breaks and/or Fractures*Similar to internal injuries and traumatic brain injury, often a survivor of a car accident does not know their bones are broken or fractured until days or weeks after the crash. While it is easy to recognize serious bone breaks, smaller hairline breaks or fractures can pose as mild pain, and a patient can ignore the pain as an unimportant health problem. Always seek a professional’s medical advice for any discomfort you might have after a car accident.

*Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer *If you, or a loved one, have been a victim in a car accident and have suffered injuries, it is always important to seek medical attention as soon as possible from a doctor or other medical professional. Contact an experienced car accident attorney at the Pivotal Law Group at 206-340-2008. We can help you understand your legal rights. We proudly serve the Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island, and Issaquah areas.