by When you’re involved in a car accident, it’s hard to determine whether or not the injuries are going to be lasting. On the outside, it may physically look healed. But if you’re negligent about your regular checks, you may not be aware of the long-term effects your body and mental health might be suffering from.
Aftermath Of Car Accidents
Depending on the extent of your accident and injuries, there are those resulting in more dire consequences than others. However, an awareness of the possibilities can put you on the safe side. In this way, you can give your health the proper care and treatment it needs. Moreover, you can also consult with a lawyer to help you settling paperwork about insurance available for long-term damage. You could get more info about negotiating car settlements to know the extent of your case.
Here’s a list of possible long-term health consequences that may arise out of a car accident:
1. Concussion
Concussions mostly happen when your car figures in an accident through a rear-end collision. When this happens, your car takes in a large amount of energy as everyone inside the vehicle is forced backward, and the most vulnerable result can bring a concussion to your head.
In simpler terms, a concussion refers to any type of injury happening on the brain. Unfortunately, depending on how strong the impact was, a simple concussion can be permanently disabling.
In these instances, the long-term effect relates to acute and fatal brain swelling since the impact was so strong the skull wasn’t able to protect the brain. These can cause conditions such as intracranial pressure and vascular congestion, leading to these long-term effects:
- Smell and taste disorders
- Trouble concentrating
- Depression and other psychological problems
- Memory problems
- Sleep disturbances
2. Herniated Disc
A herniated disc is a type of injury occurring when the padding located between the vertebrae slips out of your spinal cord. Commonly referred to as ‘slip disc,’ this results in arm or leg pain and weakness in the neck area.
Because it’s precariously located close to the spinal column, it has the potential of creating many side effects, which may have long-term consequences. It’ll also depend on the severity of the injury and the crash, but the potential complications usually revolve around:
- Long term back pain
- Loss of bladder function
- Loss of movement in legs or feet, which can lead to paralysis
3. Internal Organ Damage
Internal organ damage is one of the most common long-term side effects of a T-bone collision—when a car hits the side of the other vehicle. This is one of the deadliest forms of accident, even if it happened only at low speed. Remember, when you’ve been hit on the side, the only layer of protection between your body and the other car is your door, and this isn’t sturdy.
Hence, in a T-bone collision, one of the most pressing long-term health side effects could happen is internal organ damage. This can typically result in two ways:
- Penetrating trauma, whereby a foreign object from the car pierces through the victim’s body.
- Blunt trauma, wherein there’s no piercing of an object internally, but the organs are crushed from the accident’s impact.
If the surgery can save the victim, the overall quality of life may be hampered. These organs are vital for survival, so the person may still suffer permanent damages as the surgery only buys them a limited time extension.
4. Emotional And Psychological Effects
Physical health problems aren’t the only ones arising out of a car accident as emotional, mental, and psychological effects may also happen, and most of these centers around grief and trauma.
For instance, if there are two victims in the car accident and one passes away while the other lives, the surviving victim would go through a lot of grief, coming from the feeling of guilt for being theperson living through the memory of theincident.
Trauma can also result in many victims refusing to drive again. In worst instances, they may even have difficulty sleeping as the scene of the accident is all they can think of at night. Also, there’d befear and shock from loud sounds and noises, which can alter their state of mind.
Whatever the situation might be, it’s important for these victims to regularly consult a psychiatrist.
Conclusion
When you picture all these out, you’ll see a car accident can be traumatizing because these often happen when you’re least prepared.It’s also no secret you may not be equipped for the emotional and physical after-effects of the incident.
The recovery from the accident begins right after it occurs, then you slowly work your way towards healing from any possible long-term effects, should you realize you’re suffering from any one of these.
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