Some Tennessee road users who are involved in car accidents think they’re perfectly fine afterward. However, not all injuries are immediately obvious; some take hours or even days to manifest. This is what you can expect physically after being in a crash.
Headaches
One of the most common effects of car accidents is headaches. They don’t always appear immediately but may be throbbing, dull or splitting in nature the day after your accident or several days later. Headaches are a common symptom of injuries such as traumatic brain injury, whiplash, neck or spinal injury and even anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Neck, shoulder or back pain
The impact of a car accident can cause your body to twist in unnatural positions. This can lead to neck, shoulder or back pain that may feel like it’s just suddenly appeared. This is a common physical symptom of tissue or nerve damage, stress, muscle tension or injuries to the joints, muscles or tendons.
Bruising
Bruising is a common physical effect of a car accident. Your body can make harsh contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, window or seatbelt. Bruising occurs when you suffer damage to the blood vessels under the skin. They may not immediately appear, but you can begin to feel sore and later notice bluish, blackish, purplish or reddish marks accompanying the pain.
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can also occur when your torso locks in place with your seatbelt during a collision. You can also hit your abdominal area on the steering wheel depending on the position of the driver’s seat. This may indicate trauma to internal organs.
There are many physical problems you could experience after a car accident. Because you can’t be sure how an accident has affected you, it’s crucial to seek medical attention to be on the safe side.