Ryan Bradley | June 19, 2025 | Car Accident
Key Takeaways:
- Injuries can be obvious or hidden. Broken bones and cuts are immediately visible. But some serious car accident injuries, like traumatic brain injury and internal organ damage, may not show symptoms for hours or even days after your crash.
- Time is of the essence. Seek medical evaluation within 72 hours, even if you feel fine initially. Insurance companies may use delays in medical treatment as “proof” that your injuries aren’t serious.
- Your injury affects your compensation. The car accident injury type you experience directly impacts your medical treatment and your claim’s value. Catastrophic injuries requiring lifetime care are valued differently than injuries expected to heal within a few months.
Imagine you’re sitting in a St. Louis traffic jam when a distracted driver slams into your back. After the shock passes, you stop to check yourself. Your heart is racing, but otherwise, everything seems fine. Until days later, when you’re unable to shake that constant headache and dizziness.
Understanding car accident injuries isn’t just medical knowledge, but it can protect your health and financial future. In this article, you’ll discover how to recognize various types of car accident injuries and learn the critical steps you need to take to prevent insurance companies from cheating you out of fair compensation.
How Car Accidents Cause Different Types of Injuries
Car accidents can result in severe and even permanent injuries. When an impact occurs, your body collides with the car’s interior, and internal organs (including the brain) shift within your body. Each collision can cause distinct injuries, with the type and severity depending on various factors:
- Impact speed: If one or both drivers were speeding when the impact occurred, the greater forces may cause more serious injuries.
- Collision angle: Head-on, rear-end, T-bone, and sideswipe crashes each create unique injuries.
- Safety devices: Airbags and seatbelts save lives, but they can also cause their own injuries.
- Vehicle size mismatch: Larger vehicles like SUVs or commercial vehicles typically harm occupants of smaller cars to a greater extent.
- Occupant position: Drivers, passengers, and backseat occupants all face different injury risks in a crash.
Immediate vs. Delayed Injury Symptoms in Car Accidents
Not all types of car accident injuries show up with sirens and flashing lights. Your body’s fight-or-flight response can flood you with adrenaline immediately after a crash, potentially masking the pain from serious injuries for hours or even days. This biological response can mean that we are unable to understand the extent of our injuries in the hours after a car accident.
However, understanding this potential delay is essential because an insurance company can use delayed injuries to trip you up and refuse to pay the compensation you deserve. They may argue that injuries appearing days after your accident have nothing to do with the crash or are pre-existing.
That’s why it’s crucial to see a doctor as soon as possible after a crash, even if you feel okay. Missouri courts recognize delayed symptom onset, but you will need proper documentation to prove the connection between the accident and your delayed injury. Working with a St. Louis car accident lawyer can be essential when you’re pursuing compensation for a delayed injury.
When to Seek Emergency Treatment for Car Accident Injuries
Some types of car accident injuries and symptoms require immediate medical assistance. Your life or the life of a loved one might depend on recognizing these red flags that should send you straight to the emergency room:
- Loss of consciousness
- Confusion or disorientation
- Severe headache with vomiting
- Weakness or numbness in limbs
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Severe abdominal pain
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Suspected fractures
If you notice any of these symptoms at the accident scene, call 911 immediately and request medical help. Make sure to seek same-day evaluation for any of the following symptoms: persistent headaches, neck or back pain, vision changes, dizziness, nausea, or any other symptom that doesn’t resolve or worsens over time.
While it may be inconvenient to wait hours in the emergency room, remember that you will need medical records to prove your claim. Records from the emergency room can be powerful evidence against insurance companies arguing you’re exaggerating your injuries.
Where to Seek Treatment for Car Accident Injuries in St. Louis
If you’re significantly injured in a car accident, getting to the right hospital can make a world of difference. Barnes-Jewish Hospital and SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital serve as the city’s primary Level I trauma centers, while Mercy Hospital St. Louis provides trauma care for St. Louis County. All three are equipped with specialists for life-threatening injuries like brain trauma and spinal damage.
For less critical injuries, emergency departments at these hospitals, plus Missouri Baptist Medical Center, offer excellent care. Knowing your nearest hospital before getting into an accident could save precious minutes when they matter most.
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries in Missouri
While every car accident is different, certain injuries appear repeatedly in emergency rooms across Missouri. Knowing common car accident injury types helps you recognize symptoms and seek medical help. And the more you know, the better for your legal case. Here’s what you need to know about car accident injuries.
Head and Brain Injuries
Our brains are extremely vulnerable in a car accident. On impact, the brain can slam against your skull and cause injuries ranging from mild concussions to life-threatening trauma. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) can range in severity:
- Mild TBI: Can lead to headaches, confusion, and memory problems that linger for days or even months.
- Moderate TBI: May involve loss of consciousness, persistent cognitive difficulties, and even personality changes.
- Severe TBI: Can result in extended unconsciousness, permanent disability, and the need for lifelong care.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury: Occurs when rotational forces tear nerve fibers across the brain, often causing widespread and catastrophic damage.
TBIs may not show up immediately after a car crash, so it’s important to watch out for symptoms like headaches that don’t improve or worsen over time, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and mood swings.
Neck and Spine Injuries
Your spine, similarly to your brain, is vulnerable in car accidents. Spinal injuries may range from temporary discomfort to permanent paralysis:
- Whiplash: A common neck injury in even minor car accidents. Despite having a reputation as being “minor,” severe whiplash can cause chronic neck pain, shoulder and upper back problems, and long-term functional issues.
- Herniated or “Slipped” Discs: The cushioning between vertebrae can rupture in car accidents, resulting in pressure on the nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in your arms or legs. If conservative treatment doesn’t result in relief, surgery could be necessary.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Incomplete spinal cord injuries may allow some function below the injury site, but complete injuries cause total loss of sensation and function. Such injuries often require lifetime care, potentially costing millions of dollars during a person’s lifetime.
Chest and Internal Injuries
Your ribcage protects most of your vital organs. However, in a car accident with severe impact, fractured and dislodged ribs might puncture lungs or damage other internal organs. Common chest injuries in car accidents include:
- Broken ribs
- Collapsed lung
- Bruising of the heart muscle
- Aortic dissection (tearing of the main artery)
Internal injuries and internal bleeding are particularly dangerous and usually require immediate medical intervention. However, since internal injuries can’t be seen and symptoms may come on slowly, they can be tricky to diagnose at the accident scene.
Signs of internal bleeding include abdominal pain that worsens over time, dizziness or fainting, rapid pulse with low blood pressure, and bruising around your navel.
Arm Injuries
Your upper extremities may bear the brunt of car accident trauma as you brace for impact, or they may be crushed by vehicle parts being pushed inwards during impact. These injuries might not threaten your life, but they can cause permanent impairments and even destroy your livelihood, especially if you’re a manual laborer or athlete.
Common arm and shoulder injuries in car accidents include rotator cuff tears, dislocations, fractures, and nerve injuries.
Leg and Lower Extremity Injuries
Dashboard impacts or pedal entrapment can cause debilitating leg injuries. Femur fractures or broken knees may require multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation. While ankle and foot fractures often seem minor, they can leave you unable to bear weight for months. Hip injuries can be particularly damaging in older adults, potentially triggering long-term mobility issues and a cascade of other health problems.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Insurance companies often dismiss soft tissue injuries as “minor,” but anyone who’s experienced chronic back pain knows better. These injuries affect muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout your body. While the pain is very real to you, soft-tissue injuries don’t show up on some diagnostic tests, like X-rays, making them practically non-existent to skeptical adjusters. You may even be accused of exaggerating your pain.
Psychological and Emotional Trauma
It’s not just the physical injuries that can negatively impact your life. The mental scars from car accidents might even outlast your physical injuries. According to a recent study, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects roughly 32% of accident survivors. PTSD is often debilitating, causing flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety about driving or riding in vehicles.
Other psychological injuries in car accidents can include:
- Driving phobia
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
While Missouri law recognizes psychological injuries as compensable damages, insurance companies tend to fight them tooth and nail. You may be required to show extensive mental health records that prove a clear link to your accident.
Speak With An Attorney About Your Case
Catastrophic and Life-Altering Injuries
Some car accident injuries change your life forever and can have a devastating impact on your home life and career:
- Amputations: Traumatic amputations occur when limbs are severed during impact or require surgical removal. In addition to requiring costly prosthetics, amputees face a range of challenges, like phantom pain, psychological issues, home modification expenses, and career changes.
- Severe Burns: Burns can require multiple surgeries for skin grafts and impact the victim lifelong with limited mobility from scar tissue and a heightened infection risk. Victims might also suffer psychological trauma from the permanent disfigurement that burns injuries can cause.
The Hidden Dangers of “Minor” Injuries
Unfortunately, today’s “minor” injury can become tomorrow’s chronic pain issue or even disability. That minor back strain could be the first sign of a herniated disc. The “harmless” mild TBI could trigger chronic migraines. Small fractures can develop infections or fail to heal properly.
Remember that no injury is truly minor until it is proven so by a proper medical evaluation and time. Protect yourself and your health by documenting everything and following medical advice meticulously.
Medical Documentation and Your Legal Case
Proper documentation is vital, regardless of which car accident injury types you’ve experienced. Your medical records are essential pieces of evidence for your legal claim. But creating helpful medical documentation requires understanding what matters legally, not just medically. Here’s what your medical documentation should show:
- Clear Injury Cause: Doctors should note that your injuries match the type of trauma seen in car accidents.
- Medical Proof: Test results (like MRIs), range-of-motion measurements, and reflex tests can show the severity of your injury.
- Consistent Treatment: Following your treatment plan and keeping your appointments demonstrates the seriousness of your injury.
- Limitations: Work restrictions, limits on physical activity, and challenges with daily tasks show how your injury affects your life.
- Long-Term Prognosis: Your expected recovery timeline and any lasting effects (like a permanent disability) should be clearly documented.
Common Documentation Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Case
Relying only on urgent care instead of establishing consistent primary treatment can weaken your case. Insurers may argue that your injuries weren’t severe enough to warrant ongoing care. Likewise, gaps in treatment (missed appointments or delayed follow-ups) could be misinterpreted as signs of recovery.
Remember: insurance companies read every medical record, looking for ammunition to refuse or minimize your claim. Documenting every appointment, symptom, and medical recommendation can help ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your car accident personal injury claim.
The Long-Term Effects of Car Accident Injuries
Some types of car accident injuries create health problems even years after your case settles. Long-term complications that may develop:
- Chronic Pain: Some injuries result in long-term pain that can severely impact your quality of life and require ongoing medication and therapy.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Spinal trauma can lead to future disc deterioration and cause long-term back and mobility issues.
- Post-Traumatic Arthritis: Post-traumatic arthritis can develop long after an impact on your joints in an accident and lead to stiffness, pain, and reduced mobility.
- Cognitive Decline: Traumatic brain injuries could contribute to memory loss and difficulty concentrating. They may even increase your risk of neurological disorders.
- Secondary Health Conditions: Reduced mobility after an injury can lead to muscle atrophy, depression, a higher risk of heart disease, weight gain, and cardiovascular problems.
Bradley Law Has Your Back
At Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we don’t just help accident victims get justice. We have delivered life-changing results. Our track record includes multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts that force insurers to pay up. We go all in, investing whatever it takes to build the strongest case possible.
You’re not just a case number to us. We listen, and we fight hard for you because your recovery and financial future matter. Don’t settle for less. Contact us today for a free consultation to determine your legal options.
FAQs
Should I go to urgent care or the ER after an accident?
Head to the ER immediately if you have severe symptoms like loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, chest pain, or suspected fractures. The ER will be better equipped for severe trauma and can perform CT scans and emergency surgery if needed.
If you suffered minor injuries like small cuts, mild whiplash, or bruising, consider urgent care. That said, urgent care centers will likely send you to the ER if they suspect more serious injuries like internal organ damage or head trauma. When in doubt, it’s best to choose the ER. ER records also tend to carry more weight with insurance companies than urgent care visits.
Can I have serious injuries from a minor accident?
Yes, low-speed collisions and other minor accidents can cause significant injuries, like whiplash and concussions. Your body’s position, age, and pre-existing conditions may affect injury severity more than vehicle damage. Insurers may try to minimize your pain, but having the proper medical documentation and expert witness testimony can prove otherwise.
How long after a car accident can injuries appear?
While bruising and soreness typically appear within a day or two, some injuries take much longer to show any symptoms. Herniated discs might not cause symptoms until inflammation builds over a week or two. PTSD symptoms can emerge after three to four weeks. Some traumatic brain injury symptoms develop months later. Make sure you see a doctor soon after your crash, regardless of your symptoms.
Who pays for my medical bills after a Missouri car accident?
In Missouri, your medical bills are your responsibility initially, even if someone else caused the accident. However, depending on your situation, you may be reimbursed through the at-fault driver’s insurance, your own health insurance, or MedPay coverage.
If you decide to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, compensation for medical expenses is included in your claim, but it can take many months before you recover a settlement.
What if I had pre-existing conditions before my accident?
Pre-existing conditions don’t disqualify you from compensation. Missouri follows the “eggshell plaintiff” rule, meaning defendants take victims as they find them. Moreover, if the accident aggravated a pre-existing condition, you deserve compensation for the worsening.
Insurance companies often scrutinize pre-existing conditions, looking for excuses to deny claims. However, your doctor should be able to distinguish new injuries from old conditions and document this properly, which will strengthen your case.
Should I sign the insurance company’s medical authorization form?
Never sign broad medical authorizations that let insurance companies trawl through your entire medical history. They’re looking for anything, like old injuries and unrelated conditions, that they can blame for your current problems. Instead, provide only records specifically related to your accident injuries.
If they want more, make them request specific records with justification. Better yet, let a car accident attorney handle medical record releases to protect your privacy and comply with legitimate requests.