Accident Injuries Don’t Always Happen Immediately
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
One of the most upsetting experiences that can happen to a person is getting involved in an accident that results in an injury. It’s particularly demoralizing if the injury was sustained through no fault of your own, but was the direct result of someone else’s own carelessness or ineptitude.Most of the time when this occurs, things are normally “straightforward” in the sense that whatever injuries you’ve suffered, you’ll either get treated for them and eventually recover, or else, in the case of permanent, crippling injuries, you’ll recover as best you can, and then adjust to a new life with handicaps that you will have to simply live with.
But sometimes it doesn’t even end there. It varies from one accident to another, but there are some cases where the initial injuries you suffer from, and the subsequent treatments, aren’t the end of the story. In some instances, you may still suffer from further injuries down the line.
Delayed Effects
Every accident is unique, and so are the injuries sustained, which depend on a lot of factors, such as the nature of the injury itself, and the health of the victim. In some cases, it may be impossible to predict the full effects that an injury may ultimately have.
A brain injury, for example, can affect so many different aspects of a person’s health, and these types of injuries may not do so immediately. The full ramifications of this type of injury may only be fully understood weeks—or even months—after the actual incident that caused the injury.
This is one of the reasons why an extensive discovery period with a personal injury lawyer leading up to a lawsuit is invaluable. Taking the time to properly build up a personal injury suit doesn’t just mean getting all the evidence and information available at the time of an accident. It can also give you, your attorney, and any medical experts the time to fully ascertain the extent of your injuries and just how they will affect your life.
Take The Time, Get Good Counsel
An experienced and understanding personal injury lawyer is important during the recovery period of an accident. Not only does your attorney act as your advocate in an unfamiliar and very complex world of legal protocol, but the right lawyer may also have the connections you need to get expert diagnosis from specialists familiar with the nuances of your particular injury. You may not know an expert in traumatic brain injuries, for example, who could give you the information that directly impacts your health and situation, but a lawyer with a focus on traumatic brain injuries can connect you with the experts that may better prepare for the unexpected, such as delayed effects of injuries that only manifest after some time has passed.
If you’re fortunate, any injury you sustain in an accident will be the only effect you suffer from and need to recover from. But be prepared for those occasions when the injuries of an accident are just the start, and more side-effects or consequences are on the way. Your lawyer can help you with this, and make sure that it gets factored into your case, so you get the financial compensation you need.