The Shoulder
The Shoulder
58
Car accidentspatient-grouse-767

Thought I just bruised some ribs after my crash — now something feels really wrong inside

So I got into an accident about ten days ago. I was making a left turn at a notoriously bad intersection — the kind where the sight lines are awful and the light timing makes no sense — and got clipped pretty hard on the driver's side. Cops came, report was filed, and I even sent a note to the city's traffic engineering office because honestly that intersection has been a hazard forever. They acknowledged my message and said they'd look into it.

Anyway. At the scene I felt shaken up but okay. Next day, sore. I figured I'd wrenched my torso pretty good and maybe bruised a rib or two from the seatbelt. Took some ibuprofen and tried to rest.

Today though — something shifted. I'm getting this deep, dull ache on my right side, kind of under my ribcage but also radiating toward my back. It's not like muscle soreness. It feels internal. Like something is wrong that I can't see.

I know I should probably go to the ER. I keep talking myself out of it because my last ambulance ride left me with a bill I'm still chipping away at. I'm sitting here hoping if I just wait a few more hours it'll settle down.

Has anyone else had delayed internal pain after a crash that turned out to be something serious? Or am I being paranoid? I genuinely can't tell if this is muscular or something more concerning. Would love to hear from anyone who's been through this.

9replies

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9 replies

  • 21
    curious-tern-034

    Former adjuster here. The thing most people don't realize is that delayed-onset injuries are actually really common after crashes and are completely recognized by the industry — but only if they're documented medically. If you wait another week and then go to the doctor, adjusters will question the connection to the accident. Go tonight, tell them exactly when the crash happened and describe every symptom since then. That visit creates the record.

  • 19
    patient-otter-605

    Beyond the immediate health stuff — and yes, go get seen, that's priority one — make sure every single visit, every symptom, every diagnosis gets documented from here on out. If the other party or your own insurer is involved, gaps in medical records are one of the first things adjusters use to argue your injuries weren't that serious. Get the paper trail started tonight.

    • 7
      quiet-traveler677

      This is really helpful — thank you for posting it.

  • 13
    calm-heron-040

    Stop waiting. Go now. Internal injuries don't care about your billing anxiety.

  • 12
    steady-bison-645

    I'm genuinely worried reading this. Please don't tough it out. Is there anyone who can drive you to urgent care or an ER right now? You shouldn't be alone with pain that feels like it's coming from inside your body.

    • 1
      hopeful-neighbor184

      Wish I had seen this a month ago — would have saved me a lot of stress.

  • 11
    warm-dove-257

    Please don't wait on this. I work in healthcare and deep, internal pain under the ribcage that radiates to your back after a significant impact is not something to monitor at home for hours. We're talking about organs — spleen, liver, kidney — that can have delayed bleeding after trauma. It doesn't always show up immediately. The adrenaline from a crash can mask symptoms for days. I completely understand the ambulance bill anxiety, but if something is actively bleeding internally, hours matter. Drive yourself or have someone drive you to the ER right now. That bill can be negotiated down later. Your health cannot be undone.

  • 11
    kind-stoat-390

    This was me two years ago almost exactly. Thought I had a pulled muscle after being rear-ended, turned out I had a small kidney contusion. I waited four days before going in and the doctors were pretty stern with me about it. The waiting made things more complicated, not less. Please go get checked out tonight.

  • 6
    swift-lynx-212

    On the practical side: if you're worried about the ER bill, many hospitals have financial assistance programs you can apply for after the fact, and if there's any personal injury claim involved down the road, medical liens are often part of how things get resolved. The bill is a solvable problem. Go get evaluated — you can figure out the money part later.