It’s that time of year when we all really start to long for spring. Some days, you step outside, and you can almost smell it in the air.

However, we know winter still has a few curveballs to throw at the Philadelphia area, and whenever Mother Nature pelts roads throughout the region with snow and ice, it’s especially important to use caution to avoid car accidents.

Here at Silver & Silver, in addition to our role as leading Social Security disability and workers’ compensation attorneys near Philadelphia, PA, we handle personal injury cases for clients who’ve suffered more than just inconvenience as the result of an auto accident. Many injuries associated with vehicle crashes manifest themselves after the fact, leaving accident victims in serious pain and with unexpected medical bills.

Some of the more common car accident injuries are:

• Neck injuries – We typically associate car accidents with whiplash, when the force of a crash causes your head to snap back and forth in a violent way. The strain caused by whiplash isn’t always immediately apparent. Commonly, patients will visit a doctor even months down the road because they’re dealing with neck or back pain, and the doctor will ask, “Were you involved in a car accident?” Neck injuries can become a chronic problem, causing not just pain in the neck area. Patients can develop headaches, poor range of motion or even immobility, and have difficulty concentrating.
• Back injuries – Like neck injuries, sometimes the effects of a car crash on a person’s spine can’t be measured immediately. But even the slightest alteration in the alignment of your back can cause a lot of pain in the long run.
• Head injuries – Striking your head in a car accident could result in a concussion, or worse, and the effects of head trauma can be quite serious. Seeking medical attention is always important after a car crash, but especially when it involves the head, neck, and back.
• Burn injuries – Whether it’s a first, second, or third-degree burn, any burn suffered in a car crash is not only physically painful and potentially life-changing, it’s a traumatic emotional and mental experience. Severe burns can cause permanent damage and require costly, long-term treatment.
• Fractures – Broken limbs are relatively easy to identify in the immediate aftermath of a car crash, but accidents can also cause small fractures all over the body that aren’t apparent right away. Either way, fractures can have a lasting effect without proper treatment and physical rehabilitation.  
• Internal bleeding – This is yet another possible side effect of a car crash that goes beyond what the eye can see but can cause serious damage. If a patient requires surgery or a long hospital stay to treat the problem, medical bills will undoubtedly mount.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of any of these injuries – or any pain in general – after a car accident, seek medical care, then call Silver & Silver. We’re here if you need a personal injury attorney or a workers’ comp lawyer in Delaware County or anywhere in the Philadelphia region.