The Shoulder
The Shoulder
61
Car accidentsclear-crow-216

Months after my crash I'm still getting new diagnoses — does this wreck my claim?

I don't even know where to start with this so bear with me.

Back in the spring I got hit pretty hard at an intersection — other driver ran a red light and T-boned me. Airbags went off, I got taken out by ambulance, spent almost two weeks in the hospital. The initial injuries were serious enough — fractured ribs, a head injury, internal bruising they had to monitor closely. I was basically couch-bound for the better part of three months after discharge.

Here's where it gets complicated. I thought I was slowly turning a corner, and then about two months ago I ended up back in the ER. Doctors found some cardiac issues they're now saying may have been triggered or worsened by the trauma from the accident. Nobody will give me a straight "yes this is definitely connected" answer — they keep saying things like "can't rule it out" and "consistent with blunt trauma history."

And NOW my eye doctor is flagging some pressure and vision changes that she wants to watch closely. She asked specifically about any head trauma in the past year.

Meanwhile the at-fault driver's insurance company fixed my car fast — like, suspiciously fast — and then basically ghosted me. I've called four times. Left messages. Sent two emails. Nothing.

I haven't signed anything. I haven't settled anything. But I'm scared that because so much time has passed since the crash, I'm somehow losing my ability to make a claim for all these medical issues.

Does delayed diagnosis stuff like this happen to other people? How do I even document that these new problems are connected to the accident? Do I actually need a lawyer at this point or can I handle this myself?

Also — I've requested the police report twice and still haven't gotten it. Is that normal?

13replies

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13 replies

  • 10
    bold-tern-262

    The delayed diagnosis thing is SO real and nobody warns you about it. After my crash I thought I just had whiplash and a mild concussion. Four months later I was diagnosed with a herniated disc that my spine specialist said was absolutely from the impact. Insurance had already been pushing me to settle by then. I didn't, thankfully. Don't let them rush you.

  • 20
    keen-newt-896

    From a medical standpoint, what you're describing isn't unusual at all — cardiac and vision complications following significant blunt force trauma can absolutely surface weeks or even months later. The body is incredibly good at compensating for damage until it just can't anymore. Make sure every specialist you see knows about the accident and documents it in your chart. That paper trail matters more than people realize. Ask each doctor directly: "Could this be related to my accident?" and make sure their answer goes into your notes.

    • 1
      kind-dreamer602

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

  • 13
    steady-kestrel-814

    The fact that they jumped to fix your car quickly and then went silent is a classic move. They want you to associate them with something positive (hey, they fixed my car!) and then hope you get frustrated and either settle cheap or just go away. Do NOT let that silence pressure you into reaching out with any kind of offer or number. That's exactly what they're waiting for.

  • 10
    quick-mole-843

    I worked on the insurance side for years. The radio silence after a quick property settlement is intentional — the property claim and the injury claim are handled by completely different departments, and sometimes they deliberately let the injury side go cold hoping you'll either forget, give up, or miss a statute of limitations deadline. You haven't settled the injury claim so you still have standing, but you need to get moving. Also, get everything in writing from here on out — no phone-only conversations with adjusters.

  • 24
    warm-lynx-374

    A few things worth knowing: settling your property damage (the car) is almost always a separate process from settling your bodily injury claim, so signing that car check typically doesn't release your medical claims — but double-check anything you've signed just to be sure. On the police report, you can sometimes get it directly from the court records system in your county if the department is slow. And the "new diagnoses after the fact" issue is something attorneys deal with all the time — it's called documenting causation, and medical records plus a doctor willing to connect the dots in writing go a long way.

    • 2
      steady-walker877

      Thanks for sharing. Hope things are getting a little easier for you.

    • 15
      bright-sparrow-247

      Stop calling them. Send a certified letter — return receipt — stating you have not resolved your injury claim and are still receiving medical treatment. Keep the copy. That creates a record that you were actively pursuing this. And seriously, just talk to a personal injury attorney. One consultation isn't a commitment, but the information you'd get is worth way more than whatever you'd save trying to go it alone on something this complicated.

  • 8
    clever-owl-650

    Not legal advice, but I'll say this much: cases involving ongoing and emerging medical issues are genuinely not DIY territory. The reason is that you cannot fully value a claim until you understand the full extent of your injuries — and yours are still unfolding. Settling before that picture is clear is almost always a mistake you can't undo. Most PI attorneys do free consultations and work on contingency, so the barrier to at least getting an informed opinion is pretty low. I'd do that soon rather than later given statutes of limitations vary by state.

    • 3
      quiet-rider881

      This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.

  • 13
    silent-elk-686

    I just want to say — reading this stressed me out on your behalf. You've been through so much and you're still dealing with new health scares on top of it. Please don't try to fight an insurance company while also managing all of this medically. Get some help on the legal side so you can focus on actually getting better. You deserve that.

  • 8
    warm-newt-194

    I don't doubt your situation is serious, but I do want to ask — did any of your doctors actually put in writing that they believe the cardiac or vision issues are related to the crash? "Can't rule it out" is pretty different from a documented medical opinion establishing causation. That distinction is going to matter a lot if this becomes a claim or a lawsuit. What exactly did they put in your discharge paperwork?

  • 20
    humble-owl-703

    One thing working in your favor: you haven't signed anything on the injury side. That's actually huge. So many people in your situation panic and take an early lowball offer just to get some cash in hand. You've preserved your options even if it didn't feel like a strategy at the time. That's something.