What Happens if I Only Discover My Injuries a Few Days After a Car Accident?

Car accidents in South Carolina can leave you with various injuries, including those that might not be immediately visible or clear. If you only discover your injuries days or weeks after a crash, you might be wondering what to do next. How might this delay in diagnosis affect a car accident lawsuit? Can you still file a claim if you discover your injuries late? This might be something worth discussing with an experienced Charleston personal injury lawyer.

Always Seek Medical Treatment as Soon as Possible 

As soon as you discover your car accident injuries, you should seek immediate medical treatment. Do not wait any longer, and take action right away. Further delays could make it difficult to file a claim and recover compensation. If you lack medical records, you could struggle to prove that your injuries are real. By visiting a hospital or healthcare facility, you ensure that your injuries are properly logged and documented in your records. You can use these healthcare records as evidence in a later injury claim.

Many injuries may be deceptively serious after car accidents. Traumatic head injuries may seem completely painless at first, but they can become fatal within a matter of days or weeks. It always makes sense to play it safe and get the necessary testing – including CT scans, X-rays, and other steps.

What About the Statute of Limitations? 

You might have heard that it becomes impossible to sue for car accident injuries after a certain amount of time has passed. This is due to the “statute of limitations,” which functions like a legal time limit for lawsuits. In South Carolina, this time limit is three years. In other words, if you do not file a personal injury lawsuit within three years of your accident, you may lose the ability to pursue compensation. Obviously, it makes sense to pursue medical treatment within a matter of hours or days after your accident – not years.

That being said, there may be certain situations in which victims genuinely “discover” their injuries years after their accidents. An obvious example is a coma, and patients can become comatose after serious accidents. In some cases, patients have woken up from comas more than three years after their car accidents.

In this type of situation, it is still possible to file an injury claim. Why? Because the limit associated with the statute of limitations only begins when you discover your own injuries. Therefore, the three-year time limit only begins when victims wake up from their comas and realize the extent of their injuries.

Can an Auto Accident Lawyer in South Carolina Help? 

If you’re wondering what to do after a car accident, consider a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in South Carolina. With help from Mickelsen & Dalton, LLC, you can deal with your injuries in an effective manner. It may still be possible to file a claim and take legal action – even if you discovered your injuries late. Although you should always seek medical treatment as soon as possible, consider booking a consultation as your next step. Reach out today to get started.

Sources: 

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coma/symptoms-causes/syc-20371099