Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries and disabilities. Even very minor car accidents can cause significant physical and emotional damage. Knowing more about the injuries that can ensue as a result of a car accident is important when seeking medical help and receiving fair legal compensation.
Some car crash injuries take years to fully heal, while others lead to permanent physical disability and lasting emotional trauma. Let’s dive into the types of common car accident injuries and how an experienced car crash injury lawyer can help you to navigate the complex legal process.
Most Common Car Crash Injuries
The exact types of injuries that are commonly sustained in a car accident will depend on many factors related to the crash itself, including severity, the vehicles involved, the use of safety restraints, and available pre-existing medical conditions of the injured person. However, among injuries that are sustained more often than others include:
- Whiplash — When it comes to car accident injuries, whiplash is one of the common causes of neck injuries. Approximately one million whiplash injuries occur in the US every year. Whiplash is a neck sprain or strain from a sudden back-and-forth movement of the head and is a common injury from a rear end impact.
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries — A severe impact to the head can result in mild concussions and traumatic brain injuries. While concussions are serious and can have lingering effects, TBIs can significantly impair cognitive functioning as well as physic motor functioning.
- Back injuries — Sprains, strains, herniated discs, ruptured discs, and fractured vertebrae are common injuries that are related to the impact of a car crash.
- Internal injuries — Internally damaged organs can be life threatening, making immediate medical intervention necessary.
- Broken bones —Broken and fractured bones are a quite common result of car accidents, and often occur in the arms, legs, ribs, and collarbone.
- Abrasions, cuts, and bruises — Cuts and bruises to the skin are common from soft tissue injuries and occur from initial impact with vehicle parts, debris, and glass.
- Psychological trauma — Car accidents can result in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental and emotional health problems.
Head, Neck, and Back Injury Types
Victims of car accidents often suffer from injuries to their head, neck, and back. Some of these injuries can even be life-threatening depending on the severity.
Car crash head injuries include:
- Concussions —Mild traumatic brain injuries that involve temporary cognitive and neurological dysfunction.
- Traumatic brain injuries —A severe car crash injury, TBIs can result in long-lasting cognitive, physical, and emotional impairments.
- Fractures of the skull — High-impact crashes can lead to bone breaks in the skull.
Car crash neck injuries include:
- Whiplash — As mentioned earlier, whiplash is a common car crash neck injury and can lead to neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and dizziness.
- Neck strain — A neck strain is an injury to the muscles and tendons in the neck.
- Herniated disc —An injury to the discs in the neck that may lead to a bulging or herniated disc which could compress a nerve, indirectly causing pain.
- Cervical fracture — A fracture to one or more vertebrae in the neck that could be a serious and potentially life-threatening injury.
Car crash back injuries include:
- Sprains and strains — Sprains are injuries to back ligaments, while strains are injuries to the back muscles.
- Herniated discs — Herniated discs are also commonly called bulging or ruptured discs and occur when the soft cushion between the vertebrae creates pressure on the nearby nerves that run through the vertebrae.
- Spinal fractures —Spinal fractures are breaks in the vertebrae that can result from the force of the impact.
- Spinal cord injuries — Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis or loss of sensation below the level of the injury.
Internal and Soft Tissue Injuries
Even though the effects of internal and soft tissue injuries are not always immediately felt, they can still result in serious injuries and require immediate medical attention. Internal car accident injuries include internal bleeding, organ damage, and collapsed lungs. Soft tissue injuries include cuts, bruises, sprains, lacerations, and tendon or ligament tears.
Car Accidents and Emotional Trauma
Being injured in a car crash may involve emotional trauma in addition to physical pain. Psychological effects can include PTSD, anxiety, sleep disturbances, phobias involving driving, and depression. These emotional trauma symptoms can be just as debilitating as physical pain and can lead to difficulties in daily life.
If you are the victim of a car crash in or around the Jupiter or Palm Beach County, FL areas, and have sustained any of the car crash injuries that have been mentioned above, it’s crucial that you seek medical attention immediately. Additionally, seeking legal advice from an experienced car crash injury attorney is vital. The Lipinski Law team will fight alongside you in the pursuit of justice every step of the way. Contact us ASAP for a free confidential consultation.
