7 Common Injuries Arising from Car Crashes

Car accidents can leave significant footprints in the lives of drivers and passengers. These can range from short-term injuries like sprains and fractures to more severe and longer-lasting injuries, including death. Here, we consider some of the most common injuries and your legal rights as a victim.

• TBI (Traumatic brain injury)

This injury occurs to the brain, commonly due to jolts or blows to the head. These frequently happen in car accidents as the skull hits the side of the window or the neck snaps forward on impact. In minor cases, TBI is mild and treatable at home, but this is not always true.

Traumatic brain injury can leave a long-lasting effect on a victim, including brain damage. Unfortunately, you may not detect these injuries right away, but prompt treatment improves recovery.

• Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries are another car-crash-related injury that needs immediate medical attention. The injury can be complete, where there is no feeling below the area of the injury, or incomplete, where there is some feeling. Spinal cord injuries are not always easy to spot; it is best to inform medical staff as soon as possible.

• Face Injury

Facial injuries are also common after a car accident, including scarring, bleeding, eye damage, broken bones, and bruising. They are often immediately noticeable, but there are instances where you may not notice them for a long time.

• Whiplash

“In many cases, if you have a whiplash injury, you may be unaware you are injured for hours or even days after the accident,” says accident lawyer Jan Dils of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law. Whiplash happens when the neck snaps forward or backward in an accident, causing the head weight to strain the neck muscles. The severity of this type of injury varies; where most people recover within a few weeks, some can take longer. A faulty airbag deployment can also be the cause of a whiplash injury. 

• Bruised or Broken Ribs

Rib injuries also frequently occur during car accidents; injuries can range from mild bruises to broken bones. Also, bruised or broken ribs are not easily detectable; even if they are, the extent of the damage is always hard to tell. While broken ribs tend to heal independently, they can lead to more serious issues like puncturing internal organs.

• Heart Attack

Heart attacks can also happen because of car crashes, even if they occur later after the original accident. Let the medical staff know if you were involved in a car accident and suspect you may be having a heart attack.

Meanwhile, people over sixty-five are more susceptible to heart attack and stroke weeks or months after a crash. Hence, if you feel poorly days, weeks, or months after you were involved in a car accident, it is important to inform your doctor.

• Arm and Leg Injuries

Arm and leg injuries, including broken bones, dislocated joints, and loss of limbs, are also common in car crashes. Broken bones are particularly common in car accidents, and while some may be immediately apparent, others might not be. You may not even know you have a broken bone until after you get home – maybe even days later.

Conclusion

Different categories of injuries occur due to car crashes; one thing they all have in common is that they are not always immediately apparent. Whether you feel pain or not, getting a thorough medical checkup immediately after a car accident is important.

Meanwhile, if you sustained injuries, you have a right to compensation; how much depends on your injury. Ensure you hire a competent personal injury attorney to help you pursue your claim for compensation for your injuries.