See your doctor immediately if you notice bruising, lightheadedness, nausea or other ambiguous symptoms after a collision. These may be signs of gradual but dangerous internal bleeding.

Formal medical diagnosis is also critical for legal reasons. Otherwise, it may be unnecessarily hard to get maximum compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.

What exactly is internal bleeding?

Our bodies are replete with blood vessels, from our skin to our deepest organs. Internal bleeding (often called hemorrhaging) occurs when deeper vessels rupture, but there’s no open wound for the blood to exit.

It can develop for all sorts of reasons, but trauma may be the most prevalent. Car accidents often involve blunt-force impact and rapid deceleration, both of which are common causes of hemorrhaging.

Severe blood loss can, of course, prove fatal. Depending on the location of the hemorrhage, it may also result in organ damage and necrosis (the death of tissue) due to lack of oxygen and nutrients.

How could I not notice internal bleeding?

One of the greatest dangers of internal bleeding is that its symptoms and severity don’t always match.

Blunt-force impact may leave obvious signs, such as massive bruising, broken bones, or even crushing injuries.

But deceleration can tug and tear vessels—or even entire organs—without dramatic or immediate symptoms. In less severe cases, symptoms may manifest over the course of multiple days.

That’s one of the main reasons why you should never tell others you aren’t hurt in the aftermath of a collision. In many cases, it’s simply too soon to tell.

What internal bleeding symptoms should I watch for?

Non-obvious symptoms are the overarching concern. They may happen gradually and could indicate a wide range of injuries.

Typical signs include:

• Lightheadedness (especially upon standing up) and generalized weakness
• Trouble seeing, feeling, breathing, or moving as normal
• Pain around the upper-left chest, left shoulder, or upper left arm

Seek emergency care for any of the above.

It’s worth reiterating that these symptoms have many possible causes, ranging from trivial to life-threatening. A hemorrhage isn’t the only one, but it’s one of the more severe.

How do doctors treat internal bleeding?

Doctors may give IV fluids or even blood transfusions to stabilize blood volume. It can be difficult to locate a hemorrhage, so they’ll generally use scans to look for pooled blood inside your body.

At that point, treatment is typically surgical. The details of the procedure depend on the location and severity of blood loss.

Do I need to talk to an attorney about it?

Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. It’s stressful enough to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of suspected internal bleeding and a potentially long healing process.

But then there’s the endless documentation, insurance disputes, and sometimes more complicated legal matters.

At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered a hemorrhage in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.

If you suffered even minor burns in a collision, see your doctor immediately. Proper care will maximize the chances of full, rapid healing.

Formal medical diagnosis is also critical for legal reasons. Otherwise, it may be unnecessarily hard to get maximum compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.

Should I see a doctor for minor burns from a car crash?

As a rule of thumb, it’s always best to see a doctor—period. For major burns, this goes without saying. But even lesser ones carry a heightened risk of infection and perhaps permanent scarring.

What’s more, burns may coincide with other injuries to the same body part. Only a physician can determine the full extent of injuries, and ensure they’re fully recorded for insurance and legal purposes.

It’s also common to experience anxiety stemming from the accident, resulting burns, or the treatment and healing process. Your mental well-being is equally important, so seek a professional who can help you navigate this stressful, difficult period.

Are burn symptoms always noticeable?

Yes. In general, serious burns cause at least some immediate symptoms. They’ll often change (usually for the worse) over the next several hours or longer. Pain may start to diminish after a couple days, but it depends completely on the depth and extent of injury.

First-degree burns may take a few minutes or hours to become visible. In very mild cases, they can be hard to distinguish from abrasions or other superficial injuries.

Second-degree and worse burns go deeper than the outermost layer of skin. They are utterly unmistakeable, with visible damage, often severe pain, and life-threatening symptoms in more severe cases.

How do car accidents cause burns?

Fire is the most obvious cause, although fuel system safety improvements have made it rarer.

Electric vehicle batteries pose a totally new fire hazard. The technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, so it’s hard to predict whether burns will become more or less prevalent in the near future.

Cars also contain several hot parts (namely the radiator) and caustic chemicals. It’s unlikely that you’ve come into contact with them, but it’s not unheard of, either.

If your burns are the result of another vehicle’s cargo—such as chemical shipments—then additional legal issues may be involved.

Do I need a lawyer for my car accident burns?

Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. It’s more than enough to deal with medical care and a potentially painful healing process for burns.

But then there’s the endless documentation, insurance disputes, and sometimes more complicated legal matters.

At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered a burn in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.

If you’re experiencing whiplash symptoms after a car accident, see your doctor ASAP for examination and diagnosis.

Formal medical diagnosis may also be necessary for full compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.

It’s highly likely that you do in fact have whiplash. However, other injuries may cause similar symptoms, too. Your physician will consider them before prescribing treatment.

What whiplash symptoms do I need to watch for?

The classic whiplash symptoms are neck pain and stiffness. They tend to worsen with movement, making it too painful (or simply impossible) to move your neck through its full range.

Neck pain after car accidents is extremely common. Whiplash isn’t the only cause, but it’s by far the best known.

Are there any other symptoms?

Your neck contains complex musculature and delicate nerves, so pain and soreness often radiate upward (in the form of headaches) or downward through the arms and upper back.

Neurological symptoms like tingling arms, general fatigue, dizziness, difficulty seeing, and tinnitus are not uncommon.

Whiplash is also known to disrupt sleep, cause irritability, impair memory, and even trigger depression. The trauma of a collision may have similar effects, so professional diagnosis is just as critical for psychological symptoms as for physical ones.

How soon does whiplash show up after an accident?

Symptoms may come on within hours, and generally appear within at most a few days.

That’s one of the main reasons why you should never tell others you aren’t hurt in the aftermath of a collision. In many cases, it’s simply too soon to tell.

How did my collision cause whiplash?

It’s the result of neck tissue strains due to a quick, severe change in momentum.

The impact of a collision—especially a rear-end collision—dramatically accelerates your body and neck. Your head is relatively heavy, so it tends to stay in place rather than move as quickly as the rest of your body.

In effect, this pulls your neck in two directions at once, straining connective tissue far beyond what it’s designed to withstand.

Should I talk to an attorney about my whiplash?

Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. The endless documentation and insurance disputes can be too much on their own, let alone when you’re also dealing with whiplash.

At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered whiplash in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.

For any signs of spinal cord damage after a car collision, see your doctor immediately. Proper care will maximize the chances of full, rapid healing.

Formal medical diagnosis may also be necessary for full compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.

How do car accidents cause spinal cord injuries?

They’re usually the result of direct impact or shear forces. For instance, a crushed door might impact the spine directly, or extreme changes in momentum may force upper and lower spinal segments in opposite directions.

Our spines do a great job protecting delicate nerves from everyday knocks while still letting us move freely.

But the trade-off for ease of movement is a certain vulnerability to blunt or sideways forces.

Vertebrae are connected by ligaments and controlled by muscles. These can all be crushed, stretched, or torn in a crash. That’s painful in its own right, and may disrupt the underlying nerves, too.

Is a spinal cord injury from a collision always serious?

Generally, but not always. It may manifest as something like whiplash, causing pain but no permanent nerve damage.

Naturally, it’s more alarming when the underlying nerves are impinged upon, nicked, or even severed. This obviously requires emergency treatment, and is virtually impossible to leave undetected.

Do I need to see my doctor for spinal symptoms?

Yes. No matter how minor it seems, you should see your doctor immediately for any hint of harm to your spine.

Common signs include:

• Whiplash-like symptoms in your back (e.g., painful or limited movement)
• Tingling or numbness
• Weakness or loss of control in your limbs
• Unusual pain or pressure
• Poor or inconsistent bladder or bowel control

As noted earlier, a physician needs to document any injuries for insurance and legal reasons.

Furthermore, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between minor tissue inflammation and a more serious underlying injury. Your doctor will likely refer you to a specialist who can pinpoint what’s amiss and recommend effective treatment.

Keep in mind that you can suffer lasting harm even without severe spinal cord damage. Minor injuries left untreated can still lead to permanent pain or reduced bodily control.

Should I talk to a lawyer about my spinal cord injury?

Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. The endless documentation and insurance disputes can be too much on their own, let alone when you’re also dealing with spinal trauma.

At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered a spinal injury in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.

If you’re experiencing concussion symptoms after a collision, see your doctor immediately. Avoiding driving, since your vision, balance, and focus may be weaker than you realize.

Formal medical diagnosis may also be necessary for full compensation from your insurance, other drivers’ insurance, and even other drivers personally.

If you were knocked unconscious during the accident, or can’t recall the sequence of events, then you should assume you have a concussion. Seek treatment regardless of symptoms.

How can I tell whether I have a concussion?

A headache is the most universal symptom, but several others are common. Many concussion victims experience nausea and vomiting (especially shortly after the fact), as well as persistent vision and hearing issues.

General confusion or mental fogginess may persist, and you may struggle to recall parts or all of the event. Sleep issues and light/noise sensitivity commonly follow, and some victims even report loss of taste/smell.

Some symptoms are more visible to others than to yourself. Those who know you may comment that you seem a bit vacant, slow, forgetful, or even irritable and hostile. These comments may be frustrating or confusing, but it’s critical to take them seriously and share them with your doctor.

Could I have a concussion if I didn’t hit my head in the accident?

Yes. Firstly, concussions often cause amnesia (memory loss) around the accident. It’s surprisingly common not to remember the period immediately before or after.

Secondly, remember that a concussion just refers to your brain compressing against your skull. That doesn’t require outside impact. For example, intense whiplash in your collision may have caused a concussion without any direct impact to your head.

If I don’t have many symptoms, could I still have a concussion?

Yes. Not all concussion symptoms show up immediately, and they don’t all last for the same period of time. That’s all the more reason to consult a doctor even if you don’t feel many/any concussion symptoms.

Remember, when we’re talking about concussions, we’re talking about traumatic brain injury. The risks of long-term harm are too great to ignore, no matter how decent you feel at the moment.

Should I ask a lawyer about my concussion?

Collisions bring overwhelming aftermath. The endless documentation and insurance disputes can be too much on their own, let alone when you’re also dealing with a concussion.

At Bridge Law, our team of auto accident specialists is here to fight for you and for every penny you deserve. If you’ve suffered a concussion in a car accident, then contact us to discuss your case and options.