Following a car accident, you need to know which types of bruises to worry about, because injuries from car crashes are often not immediately apparent, sometimes taking several hours to a few days to present. This can lead to individuals delaying medical care or adopting a "wait and see" policy hoping that the injuries will subside with rest and recovery. Sometimes, this is the case, and minor scrapes and bruises may heal without medical attention. However, other times, injuries can be quite severe, leading to intense pain, serious medical intervention, and even death. One signal that you are suffering from significant internal injuries that require medical treatment is the appearance of bruises on the skin, and knowing what types of bruises to worry about after a car accident can mean the difference between life and death.
If you or a loved one suffer an injury as the result of a car accident, contact Weinstein Legal Team today and ask for an experienced car accident lawyer and a partner at the firm, Justin Weinstein. You may be entitled to significant compensation, either from an insurance company or a settlement with the other driver. Compensation may cover items such as medical bills, lost wages, property damage, mental anguish, pain and suffering, and more. GET YOUR FREE CONSULTATION For a free case evaluation, call the team at Weinstein Legal Team any time, day or night. Our phones are open 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. All case evaluations are free of cost and come with absolutely no obligation. We will review the facts and circumstances surrounding your car accident and injuries, provide you with a tentative valuation of what your claim may be worth, and more. However, you must act now. Every day that passes increases challenges in obtaining your settlement claim. Call personal injury lawyer Justin Weinstein today at 954-845-0505.
Bruising vs Contusions vs Hematomas
A bruise is blood pooling under the skin after trauma. A contusion is a deeper bruise that involves the blood vessels of the muscle or tissue underneath, and a hematoma is a pocket of blood that collects outside a vessel and can feel lumpy or rubbery. Soft tissue injuries like these are among the injuries most commonly reported after a crash, alongside spinal cord injuries and head trauma.
Bruises occur when blood gathers or active bleeding occurs under the skin as a result of trauma. Bruises usually present as black, blue, and purple and slowly turn to yellow and green as the healing process progresses and the blood is reabsorbed into the skin. They form when you damage an area of soft tissue on the body and are the result of breaking blood vessels and capillaries.
Most bruises are harmless. You are likely accustomed to seeing them from playing sports, bumping into a piece of furniture, and other daily mishaps without cause for significant concern. However, sometimes bruising can indicate a more serious medical problem that requires immediate attention.
Contusions and Hematomas are more serious forms of bruising, often that come with more severe medical implications. Contusions are a type of hematoma, which can affect the way that skin looks and even the way it feels. Hematomas may cause the skin to appear lumpy or spongey, or even rubbery. Some Hematomas, such as a subdural Hematoma, can signal that an individual has a head or brain injury. A subdural Hematoma occurs when blood gathers between the brain and its outer covering.
Contusions involve damage to the body's blood vessels and can come with swelling, tenderness, and quite a bit of pain. Sometimes, they heal on their own. Other times, they are a symptom of conditions such as concussions and head trauma.
Common Injuries Associated With Bruising
There are many common injuries associated with bruising, and knowing what types of bruises to worry about can be imperative to properly identifying these injuries so that you can seek the appropriate treatment. While some bruising can be the result of an internal, underlying cause such as anemia or leukemia, most of the time, it results from trauma to the body, like with a car accident.
Common car accident injuries associated with bruising include:
- Concussions and Head Trauma
- Muscle Sprains and Strains
- Broken Bones
- Internal Bleeding
- And More
Types of Bruising to Worry About
Worry about a bruise that comes with numbness, weakness, worsening swelling, vomiting, confusion, or bruising behind the ears, and about any bruise that appears with no obvious impact. The dangerous ones are hard to tell apart from ordinary ones by looking, so get a medical evaluation right after a car accident even if you feel fine. There are many internal injuries that can lead to bruising days later that a medical doctor will be able to identify right away. Prompt diagnosis by a medical professional often results in a shorter recovery time, an improvement in symptoms and less pain, and a better long-term prognosis. Additionally, it minimizes the risks for complications, infections, and long-term damage.
However, there are some types of bruises to worry about no matter what, and if you recognize the symptoms associated with these conditions, it is imperative that you seek help as soon as possible.
Types of bruising to worry about includes:
- Bruising that accompanies numbness, weakness, the sensation of pins and needles, or loss of motion in an area of the body
- Bruising that accompanies intense swelling, pain, or tenderness
- Bruising that does not improve within a week or bruising that seems to only worsen with time
- Bruising that comes with nausea and vomiting
- Bruising with additional symptoms such as a fast pulse, shallow breathing, paleness in the face, a fever above 100 degrees, bruising on the skull or behind the ears, fainting and dizziness, confusion or loss of memory
- Bruising that seems to appear out of nowhere or bruising that comes on very quickly
Internal Bruising
In regard to car accidents and examining what types of bruises to worry about, perhaps no kind of bruising is quite as concerning as internal bruising. Not only does internal bruising indicate there may be a serious injury to your organs or bones, but it is also challenging to identify without a doctor as there are often no visible symptoms such as black and blue marks that we commonly associate with the injury.
Signs of internal bruising include:
- Swelling, pain, and tenderness with or without the appearance of a black and blue mark
- Limited joint mobility, joint stiffness, or pain
- Blood present in the urine
- Numbness, pain, or weakness in either one or both legs
- Headache, vision problems, dizziness, and confusion
Additionally, individuals may suffer injuries such as bone bruises, intracerebral hematoma (a brain bleed), muscle, tendon, and ligament damage with bruising, and more.
Soreness and Bruising after a Wreck
Many individuals experience soreness, pain, and bruising after a car wreck. Some soreness may dissipate within a few days, while other pain may last for several weeks, if not longer. Similarly, it is common for an individual not to experience any pain at the scene of the crash as their body goes into shock, only to notice an increasing amount of soreness as the days go by.
Depending on what type of bruising you are experiencing, along with the cause, severity, location, and whether there are other injuries present, your recovery time will vary. For some injuries, a doctor may order rest along with over-the-counter pain medication and hot/cold compress therapy. Others may require the assistance of a brace, crutches, physical therapy, surgery, and more.
Only a doctor can properly evaluate the source of your soreness and bruising after a wreck, providing adequate testing to identify any serious problems. Get medical attention as soon as you can after a car accident. Going straight from the scene to an urgent care center or a local emergency room is best, and it also starts you inside the 14 day window Florida PIP requires.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
If you sustain an injury as the result of another party's negligence in a car accident, you may be entitled to significant compensation. Speak with a personal injury attorney today to see what your claim may be worth and the best way to go about filing for a settlement. Florida ties no-fault benefits to a hard deadline. Under Florida Statute 627.736(1)(a), Personal Injury Protection pays medical benefits only if you receive initial services and care within 14 days after the crash. The clock runs from the date of the crash, not from the day symptoms appear, so a bruise that darkens on day 16 does not reopen it. Miss the 14 days and the $10,000 PIP limit is gone. A negligence lawsuit carries a separate deadline of two years from the date of the crash under Florida Statute 95.11(5)(a) for causes of action accruing after March 24, 2023.
After seeking medical care, your first call should be to an experienced personal injury lawyer such as Justin Weinstein at Weinstein Legal Team. Mr. Weinstein has years of experience litigating car accident injury cases in Florida. No lawyer can promise a result, but the firm deals with the insurer, the medical records and the deadlines while you concentrate on treatment.
For a free case evaluation to review the facts surrounding your accident and to see what your personal injury claim may be worth, contact Weinstein Legal Team today.
