3 invisible injuries to watch out for after a car crash
3 invisible injuries to watch out for after a car crash
If another vehicle hits you with force, it could lead to many injuries. The most obvious are cuts to the head, facial bruising, broken noses, ribs and legs. While they can be severe, you can see them straight away. You know they need treating.
Yet many of the most dangerous car crash injuries are less apparent. They happen inside the body, so it takes someone trained to spot them. By the time there are signs that the average person can spot, it may already be too late.
Here are three reasons you should always get a medical examination if involved in a vehicle collision:
Brain injuries
Your brain is a mass of soft material encased in a hard shell called the skull. It can suffer damage when:
Something penetrates through the skull into the brain
Something splinters the skull causing a shard of skull bone to penetrate the brain
The brain is thrown against the skull with sufficient force
As your brain controls all your functions, the results can be body-wide.
Spinal injuries
The spine encases the delicate spinal cord, which transmits messages between the brain and the rest of the body. If the nerve is damaged or severed, paralysis or a lesser loss of function could result. It may happen instantly. However, it is sometimes possible for people to get up and walk without realizing that the accident has damaged the spine. One wrong movement later could sever the cord.
Organ injuries
Organ damage can occur when a broken rib punctures them or due to a body blow in the crash, such as the chest hitting the wheel.
If you are in a car crash, make sure you get a medical check-up straight away. Only then can you file a compensation claim for all the damage done.
