Being involved in a car accident can be upsetting, even if you sustained minimal damages. There’s just something about having a brush with death that shakes one to the core.
Nonetheless, you must keep your wits and be mindful of yourself and your surroundings after a vehicular accident. Above all else, you must remember to consult an attorney.
Keep in mind, however, that law is a broad field. It’s better to find someone who specializes in this type of case, such as a Jacksonville car accident lawyer, if you’re in Florida. This professional has gained the expertise and experience to provide the best support for you after the traumatic incident.
Your lawyer can even aid you in connecting with a doctor if you’ve sustained physical injuries. Here are ways to manage them:
1. Check For Damages
One of the first things you should do after a car accident is to look for injuries on yourself, as well as your passengers. Do a thorough inspection. Check for shallow cuts, deep wounds, and broken bones. Damages to internal organs shouldn’t be ignored as well.
You and your passengers might still be experiencing an adrenaline rush right after the crash. However, as mentioned above, you must have the presence of mind to observe what’s going on and where you might be feeling pain.
These are the most common car accident injuries:
- Whiplash – This physical trauma is called as such because it mimics the cracking of a whip. It’s caused by a forceful and rapid back-and-forth movement, which results in neck injuries. It damages the muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
- Spinal Problems – Whiplash can also shake your spine, especially in rear-end collisions. Another common spinal problem is a herniated disc, where one or more bones in the spine rupture or get dislocated.
- Head Trauma – The suddenness of the collision can render you unable to control the movement of your head. With this, you might bump it on the object in front, on the side, and behind you.
- Scrapes And Cuts – No matter how minor the crash may seem, the impact can still cause debris to fly out of your car. This can cause scrapes and cuts on your flesh.
- Broken Bones – It’s also common to sustain broken bones, particularly in the ribs. However, you have to be careful about unwittingly moving your arm, leg, or torso as this can be extremely painful.
- Internal Bleeding – Broken bones increase the risk of damage to your internal organs because the vertebrae can poke into the soft tissue beside it. This is another reason not to move so much if you suspect that you broke a bone during the crash.
- Knee Injuries – Car accidents can cause knee injuries during high-impact collisions due to your sitting position inside the vehicle. The joint might break or shift out of place.
2. Seek Professional Help
An essential thing for you to do to prevent health problems after an auto accident is to consult your doctor. It’s wise to seek the assistance of a medical professional since they have the equipment and knowledge to spot hidden and potential physical issues.
For instance, you can easily feel that you broke your ribs in the car crash. However, you still have to undergo laboratory tests and x-rays to ensure that there’s no internal bleeding and other issues with your internal organs.
3. Stay Hydrated
Aside from oxygen, water fuels the human body as well. It’s recommended that a relatively healthy individual should drink several glasses of water a day. After sustaining injuries from a car accident, you must facilitate your body’s recuperation by doubling on fluids, especially water.
4. Exercise If You Can
Your doctor may require you to go through physical therapy if you had broken or dislocated bones after the vehicular accident. Nonetheless, even if you only had minor injuries, you should still exercise so that your muscles can return back to its normal elasticity and movement.
5. Get Enough Rest
You should take time to rest after being in a car crash. You can use this period to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally from the overwhelming situation that you experienced. It will allow you to process the events completely.
Conclusion
Injuries from car accidents, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, should be checked by a medical professional to ensure that there are no complications from your wounds or broken bones. During recovery, you should make sure to drink lots of water, rest, as well as exercise to restore the function of your muscles back to normal.