Signs of an Underlying Injury You Should Never Ignore After a Work Accident
Some of the most dangerous work injuries are the ones you don’t feel right away. After a fall, a blow to the head or a hit to the stomach, adrenaline can hide pain, and bleeding or swelling inside the body can take hours or even days to cause symptoms. If something feels wrong after an accident at work, get checked. If any of the danger signs below appear, get emergency care first. The paperwork can wait.
The signs below are reasons to see a doctor, not a way to diagnose yourself. Only a medical provider can tell you what is actually going on.
After a blow to the head: danger signs that need the ER
A bump, blow or jolt to the head can injure the brain even when there is no cut, bruise or loss of consciousness. Concussion symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, trouble concentrating and changes in sleep can appear right away or develop over the following hours and days.
The CDC’s concussion guidance lists danger signs that call for emergency care right away. After a head injury, go to an emergency department if you have:
- A headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Weakness, numbness or decreased coordination
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Slurred speech
- Unusual drowsiness or trouble waking up
- One pupil larger than the other
- Convulsions or seizures
- Growing confusion, restlessness or agitation, or trouble recognizing people or places
- Any loss of consciousness, even a brief one
These signs can point to bleeding or swelling around the brain, which is a medical emergency. If you take a blood thinner, get evaluated after any significant blow to the head, even if you feel fine.
A stomach bug or nausea on its own is not a sign of brain injury. But if nausea or vomiting starts after a head injury, tell the doctor about the injury so it can be properly evaluated.
A hard hit to the stomach, side or back: signs of internal bleeding
Falling onto equipment, being struck by a load, getting pinned or crushed, or being in a work vehicle crash can injure the spleen, liver, kidneys or other organs. Internal bleeding does not always show on the skin, and a bruise, if one appears at all, can come late. Don’t wait for a bruise to grow or darken before you get help.
Get emergency care after a blow to the abdomen, side or back if you notice:
- Belly pain that is severe or getting worse
- A swollen, firm or tender abdomen
- Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting
- Pale, cold or clammy skin, a racing heartbeat or fast breathing
- Vomiting, especially vomiting blood
- Blood in your urine, or black or bloody stool
The American Red Cross treats a tender, swollen or rigid abdomen, abdominal bruising and bloody vomiting as signs of a possible serious abdominal injury.
New numbness, weakness or trouble walking after a fall
Neck and back pain after a fall is common, and most of it is not a spinal cord injury. But numbness or tingling that spreads into an arm or leg, new weakness, trouble walking or loss of bladder or bowel control after an accident is an emergency. Call 911, and don’t move the injured person unless they are in immediate danger. Our article on subtle signs of a spinal cord injury after a work accident explains these warning signs in more detail.
Why delayed symptoms matter for your workers’ comp claim
An injury that shows up days after the accident is still a work injury if the accident caused it. Delayed symptoms can make the claim harder to prove, though, so a few steps make a real difference:
- Report every incident, even a minor one. Tell your supervisor about the fall or blow the day it happens, even if you feel fine. In Pennsylvania, notice to your employer within 21 days protects your benefits from the start. After 120 days, a claim can be barred, although that clock can start later when you did not yet know you were hurt or that the injury was related to your work.
- Tell every doctor it happened at work. Give the same account each time: when, where and how you were hurt. Emergency room and first-visit records often become the most important evidence in the case.
- Get emergency care anywhere. Even if your employer has a list of designated providers, you can go to any emergency room. Once the emergency is over, a valid employer list may apply to your follow-up care for the rest of the first 90 days.
- Keep your records. Save discharge papers and test results, and write down the names of anyone who saw the accident.
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation pays for reasonable and necessary medical treatment for a work injury, including emergency care, and pays wage-loss benefits once the injury keeps you out of work for more than seven days.
When to talk to a lawyer
If the insurance company questions your injury because the symptoms appeared later, or denies the claim outright, that is exactly the kind of dispute our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers handle every day. We don’t need a case to be complicated before we take it seriously.
Call 610-892-9300, text 610-255-7183 or contact us online for a free consultation.