A car accident can cause serious injuries to a victim from head to toe. A crash involves a great deal of violent trauma and force that can toss drivers and passengers like rag dolls, even if they’re wearing their seat belts. A victim’s body, bones, and joints get bent and contorted in ways that they were never intended to. Injuries suffered might be both visible and hidden. Here are some of the most common injuries that a car accident attorney will see.
Cuts, Bruising and Scrapes: Even an impact at a relatively low speed can leave a victim with seat belt bruising or scrapes. If he or she wasn’t wearing a seat belt, the likelihood of cuts increases dramatically.
Whiplash: This injury occurs most often from rear-end impacts. Whiplash is caused by a victim’s neck being forcibly bent forward and then backward or vice versa. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, whiplash is a complicated injury involving muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and vertebrae.
Back Injuries: The for and trauma of an impact can cause lower back strains, sprains, vertebral or spinal disc displacement or disc herniation. Vertebral or spinal disc displacement or herniation can be terribly painful and debilitating. An orthopedic surgeon will likely be recommended.
Joint Injuries: Shoulder and knee injuries involving cartilage after a heavy impact are common and painful. They often require orthopedic surgery. Some of these types of injuries can stay with a victim for life.
Fractures: A car accident victim’s skeleton can be put under enormous stress from an impact. That’s when certain bones can reach a breaking point and fracture. Some fractures require surgical repair and implantation of plates, rods, or screws. Most of such hardware stays with the victim for life.
Organ Damage: The blunt force trauma from a car crash at crash can cause a vital organ like rupture and bleed. A bleeding organ must be treated immediately and effectively. Surgery might be required.
Traumatic Brain Injury: These can be open from an object penetrating the skull, or they can be closed. One or more traumatic brain injuries can drastically change a victim’s life. Anybody who suffers a head injury needs to be examined at an emergency room immediately.
Spinal Cord Injuries: A serious spinal cord injury can be partial or complete. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries to young people. With a partially torn spinal cord, a victim will be paraplegic. A complete tear of the cord will render a victim a quadriplegic.
Wrongful Death: People die every day from injuries that they suffered in auto accidents that were the fault of somebody else. Each state has its own wrongful death laws that must be complied with when bringing such a case. A reputable and effective car accident attorney can advise you on a wrongful death case at no cost in an initial consultation.
If you suffered injuries and damages in a car accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, you’ll likely be eligible to pursue compensation for your losses. Each state’s legislature has set time limits on how long a person has to seek that compensation though. For example, in California, the general rule is two years after the date of the accident. Other shorter limits might apply if a government agency caused your injuries and damages. Consult with and retain an experienced, effective and recognized car accident lawyer right away after being injured in any auto accident.
