Some car accidents lead to severe and immediate injuries. If someone has a spinal cord injury and cannot move, they know there’s a serious problem.
In other cases, though, the injuries may not seem that serious at first and can get worse over time. One example of an injury that could manifest either way – the initial symptoms could be severe or minor – is a brain hemorrhage. This refers to bleeding in or around the brain tissue.
Why would it get worse?
The severity of the initial injury dictates what symptoms the person will experience immediately. There are certainly brain hemorrhages that happen due to violent trauma and are immediately obvious. The person may lose consciousness or struggle to even put coherent thoughts together. Medical responders know right away that they need treatment.
One of the risks, though, is that the injury could be minor at first. Maybe it just results in a slight headache or minor cognitive issues.
However, if bleeding continues in the brain, the pressure inside the skull will continue to mount. This can become very significant, and symptoms could become pronounced hours or even days after the crash. In some cases, people think they don’t have a serious injury at all – but they actually have a significant brain hemorrhage, and they pass away because they neglect to get medical care.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to get medical treatment immediately if you’ve been involved in a car crash, even if you don’t think you’ve been seriously injured. This is also why it’s so important not to agree to a settlement until you know the full extent of your injuries. You also need to look into your options to seek financial compensation.