Hidden Injuries After a Motorcycle Wreck: Why You Should See a Doctor Right Away

Motorcycle accidents can cause catastrophic or permanent injuries. Motorcycles simply do not offer the same physical protection as cars or trucks. There is no hood, roof, trunk, or doors to protect the rider. Riders are likely to suffer two collisions – one with another vehicle and the second with the hard ground.

Riders must receive prompt medical attention for visible injuries (such as fractures and road rash) and hidden injuries (such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, tissue injuries, internal bleeding, and back pain). An early diagnosis may help victims recover faster. Skilled ER doctors, family doctors, and specialists should have the training and experience to diagnose and begin treatment for hidden injuries.

At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers, we can work to maximize your compensation after a motorcycle accident by coordinating with your doctors to show the full scope and severity of all your injuries.

What are hidden injuries?

Hidden injuries are injuries whose symptoms are often delayed for hours, days, or even weeks. It is important to identify all your injuries as soon as possible. Even when there are minor symptoms, the symptoms may get worse if a diagnosis is delayed.

Delays in treatment may mean that you need surgery instead of non-surgical treatments such as rehabilitative therapy. Delays can make treatments more difficult, cause complications, and slow down your recovery. Left untreated, some hidden injuries may quickly worsen. It is often better for doctors to coordinate care for both visible and hidden injuries.

Doctors do not just rely on your symptoms. To confirm an injury, they can also conduct diagnostic tests. The sooner there is a diagnosis of a hidden injury, the sooner treatment can start.

Why your symptoms after a motorcycle accident may be delayed

One of the reasons that your symptoms may be delayed after an accident is that your body’s natural responses, such as rises in hormone levels (for example, adrenaline levels), may hide your pain. When these levels drop, you can then feel the soreness, swelling, pain, and inflammation. Victims may also experience psychological shock after an accident. As the body’s stress response fades, symptoms may begin to appear.

Some injuries, such as nerve damage, muscle damage, and tissue damage, take time to develop.

How early treatment helps your personal injury claim, in addition to your medical recovery

While early medical attention to hidden injuries can help your recovery, prompt attention can also help your legal claim.

Insurance companies and defense lawyers will argue that if you delay treatment for any injuries (hidden or visible), the delay indicates that your injuries are not that serious, or that your injuries are due to another condition.

An early review of your medical condition helps to defeat those arguments. An early review shows that you took your injuries seriously and that the motorcycle accident is the cause of your injuries.

What are some common hidden injuries?

Some of the hidden injuries your doctor should anticipate if you were in a motorcycle accident include the following:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

TBIs, even when riders are wearing helmets, can cause life-changing injuries that result in severe pain, cognitive difficulties, communication difficulties, sensory challenges, and mental health challenges. Victims may suffer a loss of consciousness.

Common symptoms that may be delayed after a motorcycle accident can include:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Difficulty walking
• Loss of memory
• Slurred speech
• Numbness
• Vomiting and nausea

Doctors often use the Glasgow Coma Scale or similar tests to help diagnose if a motorcycle accident victim has a TBI and the severity of the TBI. Other diagnostic tests include CT scans and MRIs (though MRIs are usually delayed until the patient’s condition stabilizes). Treatments for a TBI may include medications, surgery, and other types of medical care, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injury symptoms may include partial or full paralysis, disc herniation, fractures, loss of movement, loss of sensation, loss of bladder or bowel control, spasms, pain, and respiratory disorders.

Treatments for a spinal cord injury may include immobilization, medications, surgery, and other types of medical care.

Internal bleeding

Motorcycle accidents can cause a victim’s blood vessels to burst or break. Internal bleeding may not be visible without a full medical examination and diagnostic tests. Symptoms of internal bleeding, which may take time to develop, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include:

• Lightheadedness due to low blood pressure
• Fatigue
• An increased heart rate
• Shortness of breath

Severe symptoms may include:

• Confusion
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness
• Hypovolemic shock

Internal bleeding may occur in a victim’s head, abdomen, chest, bones, muscles, and joints. Complications include coma, organ failure, and death.

Soft tissue injuries

Soft tissue damage includes damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Injuries include strains, sprains, and contusions. Complications include nerve damage, blood vessel damage, joint instability, chronic inflammation, and other serious disorders. Soft tissue injuries can affect your ability to move and function.

What type of medical care should you seek after a motorcycle accident in Tennessee?

Under Tennessee law (Tennessee Code § 55-10-106), a driver involved in a crash must immediately notify law enforcement if the crash results in injury or death, or if there appears to be $50 or more in property damage (local police within a municipality; otherwise, the sheriff’s office or Tennessee Highway Patrol).

The police officer should help arrange for immediate medical care, such as by ambulance, if anyone has serious injuries. That arrangement is more likely if you also have visible injuries. If you just have hidden injuries, then the police may leave it to you to seek medical help after they complete their investigation.

If the police do not arrange for emergency medical transport, you should go to the nearest hospital emergency room or visit your family doctor immediately – even if you feel well.

After you have an immediate medical review, you:

• May need to be admitted if you have serious injuries.
• Should follow the treatment recommendations of the physician.
• Should keep your medical appointments.
• Should keep a record of your symptoms and notify your physician of any new symptoms as soon as possible.
• Should keep a list of all the medical providers you see and the dates of your appointments.

You should also consider contacting an experienced Nashville motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as you can. Do not wait to call until you feel better. Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers is ready to help you now.

Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer today

At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers, we exclusively represent plaintiffs in cases throughout Tennessee. We handle a broad range of personal injury claims, including motorcycle accident cases. We can work tirelessly to pursue compensation for your losses, including medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, motorcycle damage, and other damages.

Please contact us to schedule a free consultation in Nashville, East Nashville, Hendersonville, Clarksville, or Murfreesboro.