Headache After a Car Accident: What To Do Next?
Car accidents happen every day in Philadelphia, with some being minor fenders and others being catastrophic to the drivers and their passengers.
Being involved in a car accident is a scary and confusing experience, but it is important after an accident to be mindful of your body and any physical changes you feel.
These signs could be indicative of more serious injury, and it is important that you get the medical help you need.
The experienced attorneys at PhillyLaw have spent years advocating for the victims of car accidents in Pennsylvania and helped many clients navigate head and neck injuries after an accident.
If you are suffering a headache after a car accident, do you know what to do next? Call or contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your injuries and your legal case.
Signs of an Injury
Some signs and symptoms of injury present themselves immediately after a car accident. The most common examples of immediate signs of injury include broken bones, lacerations, and burns.
However, sometimes it can take a day or two for symptoms of injury to present themselves after a car accident. During an accident, your body is shaken and slammed around the vehicle, even if you are wearing a seatbelt. Injuries stemming from being jerked around a car can range from something minor like a strain to life-threatening injuries such as spinal cord damage.
Because of how serious car accident injuries can be, it is critical that you are acutely mindful in the days after an accident of how your body is feeling and any changes that occur. This is particularly true if you begin getting headaches, as a headache after an accident can be indicative of many different types of injuries.
Causes of Headaches after a Car Accident
Headaches can be caused by many different types of injuries after a car accident. The most common cause of a headache after an accident is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the victim’s neck is thrashed about or quickly snapped back and forth due to the force of impact of another vehicle.
The muscles, nerves, and tendons of the neck become inflamed and can send shooting pains into your head. Typically, headaches resulting from whiplash start at the back of your neck, travel up your head, and can be accompanied by stiffness or pain in the neck.
Another cause of headaches after a car accident is hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. Hypertension can be caused by extreme levels of stress after a car accident or as a result of other injuries. Hypertension headaches can range from a pounding headache to feeling pressure behind the eyes and can sometimes happen in conjunction with nosebleeds.
One last cause of headaches after a car accident is head trauma. This is the most serious type of injury that can cause headaches and requires immediate medical treatment. Head trauma can range from mild to severe traumatic brain injuries, fractured skull, swelling of the brain, and other serious injuries.
Headaches associated with head trauma are often accompanied by other symptoms such as changes in cognitive or behavioral function, nausea, vomiting, lack of balance, and other issues. If you begin to suffer headaches immediately or in the days after an accident, it is critical that you seek help right away.
What to Do If You Have Headaches
If you begin to suffer headaches, it is important that you seek medical treatment immediately. This is important for a couple of reasons, with the first being that you may be suffering from a more severe issue than just a headache. As discussed, a headache can be indicative of head trauma, hypertension, and other serious injuries that require medical care. If left untreated, they could result in permanent injury or even death.
The second reason is that seeing a doctor as soon as you feel headaches creates contemporaneous documentation about the extent of your injuries. This can be critically important information when it comes time to negotiate a settlement for your legal case.
This proves to the insurance companies and to the court the extent of your injuries when they occurred and prohibits the other side from claiming that you were not as injured as you claimed after the car accident.
Lastly, tell your lawyer about your headaches and what the doctor diagnosed. Your attorney needs all of the information about your case, including the cause and severity of your headaches, in order to build the best possible case for compensation following an accident. Talk to an experienced car accident attorney in Philadelphia today to learn more.
Call or Contact Our Office Today
If you are suffering from headaches after a car accident in the Philadelphia area, you do not need to shoulder the burden of your injuries alone. Call the office or contact us today at PhillyLaw to schedule a free appointment with one of our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys to discuss your case.
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