The Ten Most Common Car Accident Injuries
Getting into a car wreck hurts, and your recovery could take weeks or months without a guarantee that you’ll be in the same condition you were. Today, we’re examining the ten most common car accident injuries and how to seek treatment for them.
Whiplash
The violent back-and-forth motion of your head when another car collides with yours overstretches your neck muscles and connective tissue. You could have problems turning your head or have serious neck pain and headaches. Whiplash victims may benefit from wearing a stabilizing brace.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Sprains and strains are common in a collision. You may tear muscles, or your tendons or ligaments can detach. Recovery from a serious sprain can be just as long and painful as recovering from a broken bone and inhibits your ability to care for yourself or work.
Spinal Cord Damage
The force of the impact may crack your vertebrae or damage the cushioning discs between them, resulting in herniated discs. Herniated discs can put pressure on your spine, making walking difficult. The spinal cord itself could be damaged, leading to partial or total paralysis.
Broken Bones
You may not realize you have a hairline fracture until a few days after the accident, which is why getting a medical exam after a wreck is important. Or, you could have a more serious compound fracture, which you’ll notice immediately because the bone penetrated your muscle and skin. Broken bones can take several weeks to heal, and you may require surgery to set them or physical therapy to regain your mobility after the bone heals.
Lacerations
Flying glass or twisted, sharp metal can cut your face and skin. Excessive blood loss from multiple cuts is a danger. You could end up with scarring and disfigurement and need reconstructive surgery to help repair the damage. Lacerations also carry an infection risk, so proper wound care as you recover is essential.
Burns
Hot metal or a car catching fire could cause first, second, or dangerous third-degree burns. Burn injuries are some of the most painful car accident injuries and carry an extremely high risk of infection. As with lacerations, healed burn scars can be disfiguring. Additionally, some people may be depressed after a significant change in their appearance.
Internal Organ Damage
Airbags are intended to protect you from the worst of the impact, but if you’re traveling at high speeds, you could still be injured in a crash. A ruptured spleen, punctured lung, or internal bleeding is common. First responders are trained to note the signs of possible organ damage and can help get you the fast medical treatment needed to prevent complications.
Concussion
Concussions or Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are quite common in a collision. Head and brain injuries range from mild, which may heal on their own with quiet and rest, to severe, which can render the person unable to care for themselves or even result in a vegetative state. Concussions are dangerous. The chances of a serious re-injury are higher if you hit your head before the concussion fully heals.
Emotional Trauma
Not all car accident injuries are physical. The trauma and fear of the impact can cause situational anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. If you have a semi-permanent or permanent disability or scarring and disfigurement, you may become depressed about your diminished quality of life or changed abilities.
Amputation
Depending on which part of the vehicle was impacted, it’s possible that an arm, hand, leg, or foot could be caught and smashed between crumpled pieces of metal. An accident of that sort could result in a traumatic amputation or such a severe crush injury that the affected body part must be surgically amputated.
Seeking Compensation for Your Car Accident Injury
You are entitled to seek compensation for your accident-related injuries and losses from the driver that caused the wreck. Contact The Johnson Injury Firm today at (804) 262-9000 for a free consultation with an experienced Richmond, VA, ca accident lawyer.
