According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around three million people face nonfatal injuries in motor vehicle crashes, resulting in over $75 billion worth of medical care costs and productivity losses.
Regardless of where you reside and no matter how you steadfastly practice different safety measures, figuring in a road mishap is, still, inevitable. You may seek the services of a reputable attorney, such as lawyer Yulric Abercrombie, after an accident to reduce the charges if you’re the at-fault party, or to get proper compensation if you’re the victim. Apart from that, however, it’s essential for you to know the common injuries you might acquire when you get into a vehicular accident. These are the following:
- Whiplash
Whiplash refers to a muscle, ligament, or tendon injury that one may sustain in a car accident. When you encounter a car accident, your body seems to move quickly than usual, putting a strain on your muscles and soft tissues. This type of injury can be painful and might take a lot of time to heal.
- Head Injuries
Head injuries can happen in many different forms. Some injuries are minor, while others can be severe. An unexpected stop or movement of a car can lead to an unnatural motion of your head, causing muscle strain in the back or neck.
A bang in your head can cause scraps, bruises, or deeper lacerations. One might have concussions in a minor head collision. In the case of a severe collision, the fluid and tissue inside your skull can be damaged, which might lead to a traumatic brain injury.
Head injuries might have long-term effects, leading you to experience headaches and sleeping difficulties.
- Broken Ribs
Ribs are prone to injuries. Even a little to moderate impact can already break them. You might injure your ribs if you’re pushed backward, forward, or sideways during a car accident. This type of condition can usually take some time to heal, thus demanding a lengthy resting period.
Sometimes, you might get into a car accident due to the poor condition of your car. Hence, it’s necessary to carry out some basic safety inspection before hitting the road.
- Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding can take an ugly form if you are not given immediate medical attention after an accident. A vehicular accident usually causes two types of internal bleeding. One is blunt trauma, which causes blood vessels to rupture or tear. The next one is penetrating trauma, which penetrates a hold in one or more blood vessels.
Some common symptoms of internal bleeding are headache, abdominal pain, swelling, and purple discoloration of the skin in the affected area.
- Chest Injuries
A forceful collision with a steering wheel, side panels, or debris can cause chest injuries. Common types of chest injuries due to accidents are the following:
- Subcutaneous injury: This is characterized by pain underneath the skin of your chest.
- Muscle injury: When the impact goes beyond your skin, it can cause muscle injury. The symptoms of this type of injury resemble that of muscle contusion or sprain. Some may even experience hematoma.
- Bone contusion: The victim might feel like they’re suffering from a fracture, but there are actually no broken bones.
People suffering from major chest injuries can experience shortness of breath due to damage in their lungs, blood vessels, or heart.
- Back Injuries
The spine can’t resist substantial impact, which is why people can have back injuries after figuring in a vehicular accident.
A herniated disk is what people may experience in case of milder damage. But, significant damage can result in body paralysis. Like head injuries, back injuries are also difficult to diagnose.
- Arm And Leg Injuries
Arm and leg Injuries commonly happen if a car suffers a side impact. For instance, your arms and legs may hit the door hard. The severity of damage on your arms and legs depend on the nature and intensity of the collision. Injuries may range from light bruises or scrapes.
A vehicular accident could result in a dislocated shoulder. You may feel an annoying ache or an acute pain, which might extend to your joint and cause symptoms, like numbing, swelling, and tingling.
Your leg muscles can also experience additional tension after a car accident, the knees being the part that usually receives the most severe impact You need to stretch and massage your knee if you’re experiencing pain. Consult a specialist if it troubles you a lot.
- Fractures And Broken Bones
Many victims of car accidents suffer from fractures and broken bones. Broken arms, legs, ankles, and wrists are frequent, and some victims might even fracture their pelvis.
The severity of a fracture depends on the force of impact. It might be a simple crack or a case of a hairline fracture or broken bone. In minor to moderate cases, the doctors might use splits, braces, or plaster to restrict the movement and to provide support. Some severe cases might include surgically inserted plates or metal rods.
Final Thoughts
You can acquire different types of injuries in a vehicular accident. Some injuries are minor, while some are serious. Whiplash, chest injuries, fractures, internal bleeding, etc. must never be taken for granted as these may result in more complications. If you acquire any type of injury from a vehicular accident, get immediate medical help.
Afterwards, seek advice from an attorney who is an expert in vehicles related injuries. For motorcycle for instance, you may consult a motorcycle injury accident attorney, who will provide you with an extensive case evaluation and will see what steps you need to take to be on the road to recovery.
