Personal Injury Blog

Morristown Personal Injury Attorneys Explain the Dangers of Invisible Injuries

After an accident, many victims are unaware of the serious nature of their injuries

After a motor vehicle accident or a slip and fall, many victims suffer serious injuries—but these injuries are not immediately apparent. Some injuries take several hours or longer to exhibit symptoms. Often, by the time symptoms are present, the injury has become much more serious in nature. At Leonard Legal Group, LLC, our Morristown personal injury attorneys ensure you receive the compensation you need.

What are invisible injuries?

After an accident, it is easy to see many injuries—broken bones, cuts, or contusions, for example. However, there may be other injuries that are not visible to the naked eye. Imaging techniques, such as CT scans, are required to diagnose these injuries. In addition, some psychological injuries may have very few physical injuries present.

Traumatic brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are especially scary because, after suffering a blow to the head, an individual may have no idea that brain damage is developing. After an accident, it is best to always undergo evaluation by a medical professional, even if you do not think you are seriously injured.

The symptoms of traumatic brain injuries are often very subtle. They may include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Loss of consciousness for up to a few minutes
  • Lack of coordination
  • Speech problems
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Experiencing a strange taste in the mouth
  • Memory problems
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • Anxiety

Although this is a long list of symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury, many accident victims attribute these symptoms to something else, such as rattled nerves after experiencing a motor vehicle accident.

More serious traumatic brain injuries often have more prominent symptoms, such as:

  • Seizures
  • Clear fluids that drain from the ears or nose
  • Loss of consciousness for several hours
  • Severe headaches
  • Dilated pupils (or the dilation of one pupil)
  • Behavior changes
  • Slurred speech
  • Serious loss of coordination

Those experiencing any of these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Even mild traumatic brain injuries may cause permanent damage if left untreated. With traumatic brain injuries, the longer one goes without medical treatment, the more dangerous the brain injury becomes.

Psychological injuries

Many psychological injuries have very few physical symptoms, if any. Psychological injuries include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

The only symptoms of these conditions may be behavior-related. For example, the accident victim may no longer express interest in activities he or she used to enjoy or may constantly relive the accident or incident. However, these injuries are real and are eligible for compensation in a New Jersey personal injury claim. If you have long-term injuries as a result of an accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact a skilled attorney. Our personal injury attorneys carefully assess your case to ensure all injuries and damages are being pursued in a claim. We know what types of evidence are needed to successfully support an injury claim.

Call Leonard Legal Group today to schedule a free consultation

At Leonard Legal Group, our Morristown personal injury attorneys fight insurance companies to make sure you receive the compensation you need for both short and long-term medical care. Our attorneys are leaders in the field. Attorney Scott G. Leonard is Board Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Lawyer, a designation achieved by less than 2 percent of all New Jersey attorneys. To schedule a free consultation, call 973-984-1414 or contact us online. We are available to help you 24/7.