6 Signs You Have a Concussion After a Car Accident
If you’re involved in a car accident, you’re usually going to be approached by emergency personnel to find out if you are injured. Even if you don’t feel any pain right away, you still need to seek medical attention as medical issues could arise hours or days after an accident.
A concussion is one of the injuries that sometimes presents days after an accident and can present with a variety of signs that you might attribute to something else.
Headache
A common sign of a concussion after a car accident is a headache. However, this can be attributed to just about anything from stress to the simple fact that you were involved in an accident.
There are a few other symptoms associated with a headache that could warrant a visit to your doctor:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
If your headache doesn’t go away or becomes worse, then you should seek medical attention.
Lights
After a concussion, you might be a bit more sensitive to light. This symptom can sometimes be associated with a headache, and it can often linger for a few days or even a few months after an accident. You might notice the feeling is exacerbated when you’re outside in sunlight or if you’re in a room that has brighter lights in your home compared to an area that has the shades drawn but still has natural light shining through.
Confusion
You might not remember many details about the accident. This is common, but if you don’t regain your memory, then it could be a sign that you have a concussion or that there is a serious issue present. In more serious cases, a concussion can also cause amnesia, which could last as long as 24 hours.
Consciousness
If you hit your head on something in a car accident, then you could lose consciousness. Common surfaces that you might hit your head on include the steering wheel if you’re the driver, the dashboard, or the windshield.
You don’t have to hit your head significantly hard in order to have a concussion. However, losing consciousness is usually a definitive sign that you do have a concussion and that you need to seek medical attention in order to see if there are other issues that need to be treated.
Nausea
Nausea can occur after an accident due to the shock of what happened. Anxiety and nervousness can take over, leading to nausea and vomiting, which tend to go away after a short time. However, these symptoms can also be associated with a concussion.
This symptom could show up a few days after the accident, which is why it’s important to take it easy for a short time to allow your body to adjust in the event there are injuries that don’t display right away.
Slurred Speech
Your speech could be slurred because of a concussion depending on what area of your brain is impacted. You might not be able to answer questions correctly or be able to put sentences together in the correct way. You might not know how to identify simple pictures or words when they are shown to you
Even if you do recognize these details or know what you want to say, the words might not come out just as you want them. Some people with concussions report talking as though they have been drinking.
This can be important to talk about with an attorney Hmas you don’t want to be charged with a DUI when you really have a concussion that is responsible for your slurred speech. If you have any questions at all, talk to a lawyer.
What to Do if You Think You Have a Concussion
If you have been in an accident and you are suffering from any of these symptoms, it could be a sign you have a concussion. You should contact your doctor for a medical examination if this is the case. You may need medical help or your concussion could become worse. You may also need the medical record if you end up in court.
You’ll also want to contact an attorney to determine if you should file a claim against the other party involved in the accident. You could receive compensation for medical bills or treatments that you might incur. You can visit this website for a free case evaluation.
You could also receive compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering depending on the severity of your injury. If you have any other damages that are related to your injury, you can be compensated for these costs.
