Introduction
See a doctor as soon as possible after a car accident, even if you feel fine. Whiplash and traumatic brain injuries can stay silent for days or weeks. Early diagnosis prevents long-term problems. And the medical record is the evidence your injury claim rests on.
Car accidents can be traumatic and life-changing. They leave victims with both physical and emotional scars. That is when you need care from a qualified injury and accident doctor like Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP, at the Center for Interventional Pain Management in St. Louis, MO. With over twenty years of experience, Dr. Padda focuses on treating people hurt in major accidents. In this article, we cover why you should get medical care after an accident, even if symptoms do not show up right away. We also cover the signs that may mean you need a doctor, and the key takeaways for patients.
Why See a Doctor After a Car Accident If You Feel Fine?
How Soon Should You See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
Car accidents often cause many kinds of injuries, and some of them may not show up right away. Waiting to get care can make these injuries worse and lead to long-term problems. See a qualified injury and accident doctor as soon as symptoms appear. That may be the day of the crash, or sometimes days or weeks later. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term problems and speed up healing.
Some injuries, such as whiplash or traumatic brain injury (TBI), may not cause symptoms right away. These delayed symptoms can give a false sense of safety. People believe they are not hurt. But when symptoms finally show up, they may be severe and need major medical care. Getting care soon after an accident can help find these injuries and get them treated. That lowers the risk of lasting health problems.
Does Seeing a Doctor First Help Your Injury Claim?
After a car accident, you may need to file a personal injury claim. That claim is how you get paid for your injuries, lost wages, and other damages. Records from a qualified doctor will make your case stronger and give evidence of your injuries. Seeing an attorney before getting medical care may lead to a weaker case and lower compensation. Put medical care first, so you have the records you need to support your claim and get the compensation you deserve.
What Are the Signs You Need a Doctor After a Car Accident?
After a car accident, know the signs and symptoms that mean you need medical care. Signs you should see a doctor after a car accident include:
Neck Pain or Whiplash
Whiplash is a common car accident injury, especially in rear-end crashes. It happens when the neck is suddenly and forcefully whipped back and forth. That damages the muscles, ligaments, and vertebrae (the bones of the spine). Symptoms of whiplash may include neck pain, stiffness, less range of motion, headaches, and dizziness. If you have any of these symptoms after a car accident, get medical care.
Back Pain or Spinal Injuries
Back pain is another common complaint after car accidents. It may come from muscle strains, ligament damage, or even broken vertebrae. In some cases, back pain may point to more severe spinal injuries, such as herniated discs or spinal cord damage. Left untreated, these injuries can lead to long-term problems, including chronic pain and trouble moving. So see a doctor if you have back pain after a car accident.
Can a Headache After a Car Accident Mean a Concussion?
Headaches are a common symptom after car accidents. They may point to a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI). A concussion happens when the brain is violently shaken inside the skull. That causes temporary or permanent neurological damage. Symptoms of a concussion may include headaches, dizziness, confusion, memory problems, and trouble focusing. More severe TBIs can lead to lasting problems with thinking, mood, and the body. If you have a headache or any other concussion symptoms after a car accident, get medical care right away.
Bruising, Swelling, or Cuts
Car accidents can cause many outside injuries, such as bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Some of these may seem minor. But they can point to damage underneath, such as internal bleeding or organ damage. Open wounds can also get infected if they are not treated well. Getting care for these injuries can ensure proper treatment and prevent complications.
Difficulty Moving or Reduced Range of Motion
If you have trouble moving or less range of motion after a car accident, it may be a sign of an injury that needs care. Musculoskeletal injuries, such as fractures, dislocations, and sprains, can limit movement and cause significant pain. A qualified injury and accident doctor can check your condition. Then the doctor can build a treatment plan to help restore function and ease pain.
Key Takeaways
- Seek care from a qualified injury and accident doctor like Dr. Padda at the Center for Interventional Pain Management as soon as you have symptoms from a car accident. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term problems and speed recovery.
- Records from a qualified doctor can make your personal injury claim stronger and help you get the compensation you deserve. Put medical care before seeing an attorney, so your case is as strong as possible.
- Know the signs that you need medical care after a car accident, such as neck pain, back pain, headaches, bruising, and trouble moving. Getting care soon can ensure proper treatment and prevent complications.
Conclusion
Car accidents can be traumatic, with lasting effects for those involved. Put medical care first and see a qualified injury and accident doctor like Dr. Padda at the Center for Interventional Pain Management. Timely care can help find and treat injuries and prevent long-term problems. It also gives you the records a personal injury claim needs. Follow these steps and get care early. That can improve your chances of a successful recovery and of getting the compensation you deserve.
Related reading: car accident injury treatment in St. Louis and what a whiplash injury doctor does.
Frequently asked questions
What are delayed symptoms after a car accident?
Some crash injuries stay quiet for days or even weeks. Whiplash can show up later as neck pain, stiffness, less range of motion, headaches or dizziness. A concussion or other traumatic brain injury can show up as headaches, confusion, memory problems or trouble focusing. These symptoms can arrive late and turn severe. So see a qualified injury and accident doctor as soon as any of them appear.
How do you know if you are OK after a car accident?
Feeling fine is not proof. Whiplash and traumatic brain injuries often cause no symptoms at first. That gives a false sense of safety. A bruise or a cut can also hide internal bleeding or organ damage. The way to know is an exam by a qualified injury and accident doctor. That doctor can find these injuries early and treat them before they become long-term problems.
What should you not do after a car accident?
Do not wait for pain to get worse before you see a doctor. That is because delay can make injuries worse and lead to long-term problems. Do not see an attorney before you get medical care; that order can weaken your case and lower your compensation. And do not ignore bruising, swelling or trouble moving. They matter because they can signal fractures or damage underneath.
What kind of doctor should I go to after a car accident?
See a qualified injury and accident doctor, such as Dr. Padda at the Center for Interventional Pain Management in St. Louis. He has more than twenty years of experience treating patients from major accidents. An accident doctor looks for injuries that are easy to miss, like whiplash, spinal injuries and concussions. The doctor treats them early and gives you the medical records a personal injury claim needs.
Should I go to the ER or urgent care after a car accident?
Go to the emergency room if you blacked out, are confused or vomiting, have a headache that keeps building, chest or belly pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, or a bone that looks out of place. Urgent care fits when you walked away from the crash, are thinking clearly and have soreness, scrapes or a sprain. Neither visit is where the injury gets worked up. Both exist to rule out what can kill or disable you today, while the neck sprain, the disc and the irritated nerve usually declare themselves later. Book the injury evaluation within days either way; what a St. Louis accident doctor looks for covers what that visit adds.
Injured in an accident? Contact Accident and Injury Experts to have your pain evaluated, or call us.
Sources
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- Papa L, Brophy GM, Welch RD, et al. Time course and diagnostic accuracy of glial and neuronal blood biomarkers GFAP and UCH-L1 in a large cohort of trauma patients with and without mild traumatic brain injury. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(5):551–560. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.0039 (PMID 27018834)
- Walton DM, Macdermid JC, Giorgianni AA, Mascarenhas JC, West SC, Zammit CA. Risk factors for persistent problems following acute whiplash injury: update of a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2013;43(2):31–43. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.4507 (PMID 23322093)
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP — Board Certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Interventional Pain Management, Addiction Medicine, and Obesity Medicine.
