Car accidents are traumatic experiences that result in various types of injuries, which can affect a victim’s physical and mental health and even their interpersonal relationships. Car accident victims can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit to receive compensation for their losses.
An auto accident attorney can help you receive economic and non-economic damages following your car accident. Some injuries take months or even years to heal fully. To get a better perspective of what type of injuries car accident victims might face, here are a couple of the most common ones:
Whiplash
Many people underestimate the impact of a whiplash injury. We often see in movies how people suffer a rapid back-and-forth movement of their necks during car impacts. However, unlike in movies, whiplash injuries aren’t so superficial.
Neck pain, headaches, stiffness, or dizziness usually accompany these types of injuries. In most cases, symptoms disappear within a couple of weeks if victims follow a treatment plan, take pain medication, and exercise. Yet, in severe cases, victims might develop chronic pain and may heal after a couple of months. Additionally, some other symptoms might manifest, such as:
- Memory problems
- Depression
- Blurred vision
- Insomnia or sleep disturbances
Broken Bones
Broken bones are also a common injury in car accidents. Fractures in the arms, legs, or ribs often occur in powerful impacts. In some instances, victims might need to undergo surgery to repair broken bones. In the worst cases, broken bones can lead to internal bleeding if they pierce organs.
Apart from being painful injuries, broken bones take a long time to heal. Elderly people are likelier to experience these types of injuries and other complications.
Back Injuries
In many car accidents, victims can experience a wide range of back injuries, such as herniated discs, fractures, or spinal cord injuries. These types of injuries can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis.
Back injuries take a long time to heal, and several factors affect the severity of the injury—such as the speed of the crash, whether the impact occurred from the sides, rear, front, or above, if the vehicle rolled over, and whether you were wearing a seatbelt during the impact.
In side-impact accidents, all types of back injuries can occur, while in front impacts, torn discs or herniated discs are more common since the head and neck are forcefully thrown forward.
Concerning rear-end accidents, spinal cord injuries are more common. This occurs due to the pressure from the rear in combination with another movement, namely the torso sliding up, which is also pushed back by the lap restraint.
Cuts and Bruises
Among the most common car accident injuries are cuts and bruises. Although these types of injuries might seem superficial at first glance and when compared to other types of injuries, we need to consider that some cuts can result in severe blood loss or permanent scars.
Cuts and lacerations can result in permanent disfigurement. Victims may sometimes require surgery to address scarring issues or disfigurement. Cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery aren’t cheap and might not produce the desired results for car accident victims, which can be used to pursue non-economic damages.
Head Injuries
Car accident victims might face all sorts of head injuries following their crashes. This can range from concussions, brain contusions, skull fractures, acquired brain injuries, coup-contrecoup, or even brain penetration.
Concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most common car accident head injuries. A powerful blow to the head causes them and can result in symptoms such as:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Tinnitus (ringing ears)
- Blurred vision
No matter how the accident occurs or if a vehicle hits a stationary object, concussions are always possible. Traumatic head injuries are classified as either minor, mild, or severe. Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, in the worst scenarios, these injuries also come with further complications, such as long-term cognitive impairment.
Victims might struggle with learning and focusing or even have memory issues. In some cases, TBI victims have undergone personality changes, experienced depression, became more irritable, or suffered other symptoms.
Taking Legal Action
Many of the most common car accident injuries can leave victims unable to work or perform their everyday life activities, affect their interpersonal relationships, or affect their mental health.
This is why it is crucial for victims to receive the financial support necessary to deal with their injuries and other losses. A car accident lawyer can present your case and help you receive your rightful compensation. Call Tucker Law today to get started on your case.
