Car crash injuries generally show up immediately after an accident but there are some injuries which do not show until some time later. There are some delayed car crash injury symptoms which may appear several days later.

Headaches

Headaches may start are several days after a car accident. It may be one of the delayed car crash injuries showing up. A headache may signal towards a potentially serious problem. Such problems include a clot in the brain, a serious concussion, injury to the neck or head etc.

Numbness

Sometimes some people may suffer from numbness few days after an accident. Loss of feeling in hands and arms may mean whiplash injury. If there is any damage to the neck or spinal column, than it may result in numbness in your hands. It may be more common in case of rear end accidents.

Neck or shoulder pain or stiffness

Whiplash is the delayed symptom of injury resulting from accidents. Whiplash injury mostly occur from rear end vehicle collisions. However, it may also occur due to front-end collisions. Such injuries may be serious. For proper diagnosis of such injuries, x-rays, CT scans or MRIs may be necessary.

Abdominal pain or swelling

This is another symptom in case of delayed car crash injuries. Deep purple bruising may also appear along with abdominal pain and swelling. Dizziness and fainting are two other symptoms that may happen along with pain and swelling. If there is internal bleeding, it can be very dangerous and life-threatening. You should immediately see a doctor because internal bleeding should be diagnosed and treated by expert medical personnel. Internal bleeding can stay undiscovered for days and that may cause other serious issues.

Back pain

Some back pains develop a few days after the accident. Such back pain may be caused by injury to the muscles, nerves, or ligaments. Sometimes, if there is a damage to the vertebrae, then also back pain may show up. In case of rear impact collisions, back pain is associated in more than half of such accidents. About three quarters of side impact accident victims also suffer from back pain.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder may show up after a few hours or even after a few days. People having it may have vivid and disturbing memories of the accident. They may also suffer from nightmares. They may have flashbacks and they may feel as if the accident is recurring. Children are more susceptible but that does not mean that adults cannot have it.

Change in personality or physical function

In some cases after some time (a few days or a few weeks) another delayed car crash injury symptoms may appear. If there is any change in personality or physical function of the people involved in the accident, it may also mean traumatic brain injury that results from a concussion. Impaired thinking or memory, problems with vision or hearing, impaired movement, personality changes, or depression are some of the common symptoms that may appear. Car crashes are considered as the third leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Such injuries may result in death if not dealt with at the right time.

You have to be very careful with the delayed car crash injury symptoms because they may mean many things. They may mean internal bleeding, and damage to the important organs. Quick intervention of the doctor may be necessary in such cases. Otherwise, it may result in severe damages and in extreme cases death. So, you should be watching any appearance of delayed symptoms that appear after car accidents.

References
1. Motor Vehicle Crash Injuries
2. Cervical injuries suffered in automobile crashes