The stats on auto accidents are frightening. Did you know that a staggering 20-50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries annually, often resulting in long-term disabilities?

Some injuries are usually apparent after the accident, such as broken bones, cuts, bruises, and facial scars. However, hidden injuries are never noticeable at a glance, but that doesn’t mean they’re non-existent. When left alone, they can cause excruciating pain, discomfort, and in worst-case scenarios, loss of life.

Below are the top five hidden injures to look out for if you or your loved ones have recently been involved in a car accident.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most excruciating car accident injuries that anyone can persevere. When you get involved in a car accident, and your head uncontrollably strikes against any surface, you’re likely to sustain a TBI. That blast usually causes the brain to bang the skull, impairing its normal functioning.

And judging by the brain’s internal position in the body, it may be easy to assume that you can’t get TBI from a car accident, but that’s far from the truth. About 2 million Americans fall victim to the condition annually, out of whom 275,000 require medical attention.

It’s worth noting that TBI not only results from blasting the head against a hard surface; it can also occur if the brain gets jolted forcefully in different directions. These types of TBI are often hidden injuries because they regularly do not show on a brain MRI.

Common TBI symptoms include:

• severe headaches
• dizziness
• sleep loss
• memory loss
• light sensitivity
• seizures
• overall body weakness
• depression
• vision impairment
• personality change/aggressiveness

If you or your loved ones suffer a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligent driving, be sure to get in touch with your brain injury attorney to explore your legal rights.

Herniated Discs

When you get involved in accidents like rear-end crashes, sideswipes, or front-end impacts, the trauma may bulge, push, rupture, or herniate the water-filled discs between your spine. If the herniation causes the discs to extrude out of space, they may cause inflammation to the nerve endings due to the excessive pressure.

Further, the nerve inflammation may cause numbness in the arms, hands, and legs and transmit pain throughout the body, not only at the site of the back injury. In the cause of a car accident, herniated discs are more likely to affect the neck area than the back as the former is more vulnerable. Victims often report excruciating pain and muscle control loss, especially in the arms and legs.

Herniated discs usually become apparent immediately, although some symptoms may appear a few weeks or months after a car crash. If left alone or treated improperly, herniated discs may require surgery, consequently extending the recovery period. In rare-case scenarios, the condition may have a long-lasting effect even after attempting treatment, forcing you to endure the pain.

But never suffer silently after a car accident resulting in herniated discs. Discuss your case with a personal injury lawyer who can help you seek compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering.

Psychological Injuries

Car accidents don’t cause physical injuries alone; psychological and emotional states also get affected. If you get into a tragic accident, you may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or “car phobia,” i.e., an unusual fear of driving a vehicle or sitting in one.

A psychologist may help by offering coping techniques to overcome the symptoms. But the unpleasant news is, phobias or psychological traumas aren’t treatable in one appointment, meaning the bills may be unbearable in case of delayed recovery. Nonetheless, we recommend you seek help as soon as you develop the first symptoms to speed up healing and save on costs.

But most importantly, you want to consult your injury lawyer to help you seek justice and compensation for your hidden injuries that are psychological psychological in nature due to a car crash.

Paralysis Injuries

Did you know that about 5.4 million Americans struggle with paralysis today? The condition occurs when the spinal cord loses its normal functioning due to an accident or disease. It can affect the entire body or just some parts.

When an accident occurs and impacts the spinal cord, it consequently causes blockage of signals from the brain to the nerves. This makes the injured person unable to move part of the body impacted.

Don’t get it wrong, though; paralysis can result from various factors, with spinal cord injuries taking the lion’s share due to its vulnerability in case of a crash. Other causes may include blocked arteries (muscle damage), head and neck injuries.

What’s more frustrating is that the pain and suffering resulting from a paralysis injury isn’t limited to the condition alone. It can lead to additional illnesses, causing more suffering and unimaginable hospital bills. Good news: if you or your loved one suffer a paralytic injury due to someone else’s negligence, a paralysis injury attorney can help you file a suit and pursue compensation.

Knee Damage

Knee injuries from car accidents can come in various forms, including visible ones like cuts and bruises and hidden injuries like torn ligaments and soft tissue damages. These types of hidden injuries may be more complicated and often require long-term medical attention.

To confirm that knee injuries are usually more severe than you may think, sometimes, a doctor’s treatment fails, referring victims to a physical therapist. And in worst-case scenarios, the doctor may recommend surgery. Either way, the treatment process takes weeks, months, or years, with the medical bills piling up.

If you or your loved one sustain a knee injury due to another person’s negligent driving, don’t just suffer silently. Contact a Texas personal injury lawyer to exercise your legal rights and pursue the compensation you deserve.

Thompson Law Can Help With Your Hidden Accident Injuries

Here at Thompson Law, we understand the potentially long-lasting damages, pain, and suffering that can result from a car accident. Don’t fight the battle alone; let us leverage our immense expertise, knowledge, and experience to help restore your dignity and get the compensation you deserve. Be pro-active, don’t wait until your hidden injuries are suddenly apparent or become critical.

If you’ve sustained injuries in a car accident, call us today or get in touch with our personal injury lawyers for a free review of your case. Remember, you don’t have to pay us a dime until we win your case!