- While some car accident injuries cause symptoms immediately, others don’t show up until later or worsen over time.
- It’s important to seek emergency medical care if you lose consciousness, cannot breathe, or breathe uncontrollably, or notice changes in how you see, hear, think, feel, or act.
With nearly 7,000 traffic collisions reported by the New York Police Department in March 2025 alone, accidents in New York are a daily reality. If you’ve been involved in one, you know just how overwhelming the aftermath can be—and why getting the right help matters. A hospital visit probably isn’t always the first thing on your mind after a collision, especially if you feel “fine.”
That feeling of being okay is often your body’s way of managing trauma. You don’t notice the pain immediately, but you may begin to feel it later as your shock fades. It’s important to seek medical attention immediately, regardless of symptoms, to reduce the risk of injuries becoming more serious.
The expert legal team at Chopra & Nocerino is committed to helping New Yorkers navigate the road to recovery after a car accident, including by sharing our list of personal injury FAQs and this list of signs you should go to the hospital after a car accident.
Immediate, Obvious Signs That Require Urgent Medical Attention
Though it can be hard to know when to go to the hospital after a car accident, there are injury symptoms that are impossible to brush off or ignore. Whether you experience these symptoms instantly after a crash or hours later, head to an emergency room right away.
Unconsciousness or Loss of Consciousness
When a person loses consciousness, they are unaware of their surroundings and unable to respond to others. It can happen after a head injury and is a common sign of traumatic brain injury. TBIs occur when there is rapid movement or impact that causes damage to brain tissue. TBIs can be severe and may lead to long-term disability.
Severe Bleeding That Won't Stop
Significant blood loss is dangerous for your organs, including your brain and lungs, which depend on blood flow. Untreated, it could lead to brain or kidney damage, heart attack, organ damage, limb loss, and even death.
Obvious Deformity or Broken Bones
Crushed bones require immediate medical intervention to prevent broken bones from worsening. These injuries tend to be extremely painful. The affected bone may look different or noticeably displaced. In some cases, you may even be able to see the bone through your skin.
Difficulty Breathing or Shortness of Breath
If you’ve been injured and suddenly feel like you can’t breathe or can’t draw in enough air, you may have a serious chest injury. Difficulty breathing may indicate a bruised lung, fractured rib, or collapsed lung. Any of these injuries can affect your body’s ability to absorb oxygen and may be life-threatening.
Severe Head or Neck Pain
Severe head pain after an accident may be a sign of a concussion. Doctors often refer to concussions as “mild” TBIs, but they can have serious long-term effects on how you think, feel, and behave. Head pain may also indicate whiplash, particularly if you are also experiencing neck pain or stiffness. In some cases, head and neck pain may indicate a more serious spinal injury.
Seizures or Convulsions
A seizure happens when abnormal, uncontrolled electrical activity occurs in the brain. Seizures may involve convulsions, which are uncontrolled motor movements occurring alongside a change in consciousness.
Other types of seizures may occur while the patient is fully awake and aware. The individual may be confused, move strangely, or appear “dazed.” Any seizure after an injury can indicate neurological damage and is one of the more serious symptoms after a car crash.
Paralysis or Weakness in Any Part of the Body
A lack of feeling anywhere can signal a nerve or spinal cord injury. Depending on where the injury occurs, spinal cord damage can lead to varying degrees of paralysis. Damage to the upper spinal cord can be serious enough to require a breathing tube.
Weakness or tingling may also signal a peripheral nerve injury, which is typically less catastrophic but may still result in permanent damage.
Less Obvious But Equally Serious Signs To Watch Out For
Serious medical issues may not always seem catastrophic. Part of knowing when to seek medical attention is learning to identify less obvious symptoms that might seem mild to moderate but can easily escalate.
Persistent or Worsening Headache
A headache can be a sign of a concussion or internal bleeding, both of which signal damage to the brain. Urgent medical attention is critical, especially if there is bleeding in the brain. This can increase pressure in the head and cause permanent brain damage.
Dizziness or Lightheadedness
Feeling dizzy or faint after an accident can be a warning sign of a brain injury, but it isn’t the only possibility. Dizziness can also be caused by inner ear damage, a neck injury like whiplash, or even blood loss. Internal bleeding, in particular, can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. It’s important to see a doctor immediately to find out what’s causing your symptoms.
Nausea and Vomiting
Both nausea and vomiting are classic symptoms of a concussion, but they can also be warning signs of something more serious, like internal bleeding or organ damage. After a car accident, a hard blow to the head or body can cause injuries that aren’t immediately obvious. If your vomit is bloody, dark, or looks like coffee grounds, it could mean you have bleeding in your stomach or other abdominal organs. This type of injury can quickly become life-threatening, so it’s critical to seek emergency medical care right away.
Abdominal Pain or Swelling
If you have an abdominal organ injury or bleeding, the blood can build up in the abdominal cavity with nowhere else to go. This causes worsening or unusual pain, firmness, or swelling of the belly, and related symptoms such as a racing heart or low blood pressure. Belly pain always has a variety of potential causes, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Chest Pain or Tightness
Chest discomfort after an accident may indicate a heart issue. Car crashes are a common cause of a condition called myocardial contusion, which is a bruise on the heart muscle. There is also the risk of a blood clot traveling to the heart or lungs, which can do severe damage without immediate intervention.
Additionally, remember that a car crash is a highly traumatic event. That stress can cause chemical changes in the body and increase your risk of a heart attack or similar incident.
Blurred Vision or Changes in Vision
People with concussions and other brain injuries often experience vision disturbances, such as blurry or double vision, difficulty focusing, or loss of part of the field of vision. The Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association recommends seeing a doctor if you have any of these symptoms after an injury.
Difficulty Speaking or Slurred Speech
If a head injury affects the part of the brain that affects speech, it can cause you to have trouble speaking clearly. Between 10 percent and 65 percent of individuals with brain injuries develop this symptom. The earlier a doctor can diagnose the issue, the sooner they can recommend a course of treatment.
Significant Swelling or Bruising
Although bruising and swelling are common in car accident victims, they tend to be mild or moderate. Extreme swelling can indicate uncontrolled bleeding, especially if you are also experiencing pain.
Why You Shouldn't Delay Medical Attention After an Accident
When you are in a crash, your body releases adrenaline and endorphins to help you get through the stress. Those natural chemicals mask your discomfort and keep you moving so you can get to safety. As your adrenaline and endorphins drop, you start to feel the pain from your injuries.
Some types of personal injuries aren’t obvious right away. Whiplash, back injuries, and internal organ damage often have delayed symptoms. Post-accident medical care can often identify these hidden injuries and allow you to start treatment sooner. Timely treatment speeds your recovery and may reduce your risk of long-term damage.
Seeing a doctor after your accident not only protects your health, but it will also lead to important evidence of your injuries and the medical documentation you need to build a strong case for compensation.
If you were injured after a car crash in New York, don’t wait to get experienced legal help. The attorneys at Chopra & Nocerino are real New Yorkers with the knowledge, grit, and determination to protect your rights and make sure your bills are paid.
Chopra & Nocerino: Protecting Your Rights After a Car Accident
As trusted New York car accident lawyers, Chopra & Nocerino can help you seek fair compensation for your injuries and related damages. We have extensive experience navigating insurance claims and will protect your rights against powerful insurers. We are real New Yorkers who stop at nothing to defend our clients and make sure their bills are paid.
If you have serious injuries after a car accident in New York, don’t wait to secure top-notch legal representation. Contact us online or call (855) NYC-HURT today for a free consultation.
