A headache is a common symptom of many different injuries that can occur as a result of a car accident. A headache after a car accident may be only one of many symptoms from your injuries, or it may be a lingering side effect on its own.
Therefore, it is not unusual for victims to complain of headaches days, weeks, or even months after an injury in a car accident.
Car Accident Injuries That Can Lead to Headaches
Headaches can arise from different kinds of injuries that you suffer in a car accident. These injuries and the accompanying conditions can range from severe to mild, depending on the situation.
Some specific injuries that may manifest as headaches include:
Whiplash
According to Mayo Clinic, headaches are one of the primary symptoms of whiplash. Car accidents, especially rear-end collisions, often lead to whiplash injuries caused by the rapid back-and-forth motion of your neck upon impact.
Head Injuries
Blows to the head that occur during car accidents also can lead to headaches. Accident victims may suffer a concussion, which is usually a temporary condition that resolves within a few weeks. In some cases, however, victims may suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can have permanent cognitive effects and result in chronic headaches.
Other Injuries
Headaches after a car accident can result from other injuries, as well. Muscle strains and tears in the neck and back can lead to headaches. Back injuries also can cause headaches, as the spinal column connects the back and the brain. Even some medications that are necessary to treat other injuries can result in headaches after a car accident.
Getting Medical Treatment
After a car accident, you should get a complete medical evaluation right away, even if you do not think you are injured. Symptoms of injuries, including headaches, may not arise until days or even weeks after your accident, in some cases. Getting quick treatment also can prevent the worsening of your injuries and promote a full recovery.
Furthermore, if you fail to seek medical advice early on, you may have a harder time showing that your symptoms or injuries resulted from the accident. In a personal injury claim, you must prove that the actions of the parties at fault for the accident directly resulted in your injuries.
Delaying medical treatment may lead to intervening incidents that might contribute to or worsen your injuries, which also provides a possible defense for the parties who caused the accident.
Receiving Compensation for Your Headaches and Other Injuries
If another driver or a third party caused the car accident that injured you, you may be eligible to get compensation from the responsible parties. Generally, you can file a claim against the insurance company. However, to file that claim, you must provide evidence that the other party was negligent in causing your accident, such as by providing accident reports and witness statements about how the accident occurred.
You also must establish the value of your injury claim through documentation of your injuries and losses. Medical records, medical bills, and accounts of how the headaches and other symptoms have impacted your life all are relevant in a personal injury claim. Similarly, statements of lost wages due to your injuries and estimates to repair your vehicle also can be evidence to support the value of your claim.
How Long do You Have to Seek Damages?
You have a limited time to get compensation after a car accident. Under Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), you have only four years from the date of your accident to file your personal injury case in court. Missing this deadline can cause you to lose out on compensation for your headaches and other injuries.
Damages for Your Headaches After a Car Accident
Compensation or damages in personal injury cases can include actual financial losses, such as medical bills that you had to pay for treatment. You might also be able to calculate how much income you lost from being unable to work due to your condition. In severe cases, your headaches may be such that they prevent you from working in your field, which can lead to additional compensation.
Other forms of damages are not so easy to calculate. For example, you may have experienced a great deal of physical pain and suffering due to your headaches. Constant severe headaches also can take an emotional toll on you, particularly if they prevent you from doing things that you previously enjoyed.
Connect with a Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you are experiencing headaches after a car accident, it may be a symptom of a more severe injury. Get medical attention and then contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to learn more about your legal rights after a car accident. Call us at 1-800-747-3733 and get the answers to all your questions.
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