According to statistics, medically consulted injuries in auto accidents were counted at 4.8 billion in 2020, with motor vehicle injury costs estimated at $473.2 billion. These costs include productivity and wage losses, administrative expenses, medical costs, employer costs, and property damage. Car accident injuries can significantly impact a victim’s lifestyle and quality of life.
Upon suffering injuries in a car crash, seeking professional medical care is critical because it ensures the correct diagnosis and treatment plan. If you delay getting medical attention, your injuries may escalate. This may also compromise your compensation if you intend to file a personal injury claim. This article outlines five common car accident injuries.
1. Traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries occur when sudden, physical, external force damages the brain. They’re a common cause of death and disability after a car crash. The severity of this injury ranges from severe damage that may lead to death or a coma to a mild concussion. Traumatic brain injury can be a closed brain injury where the injury to the brain is non-penetrating with no skull break.
The injury can also be open or penetrating, meaning it happens when there’s a break in the skull. You’re entitled to compensation if you suffer injuries in a motor vehicle crash. Hiring an experienced car accident lawyer, such as this San Antonio car crash lawyer, can help you get fully compensated for your injuries.
2. Amputations
If a collision force is robust and crushes your vehicle, it might fold in, breaking your limbs. Should you remain stuck in the car as the emergency personnel attempts to get you out, you may lose blood flow to the limbs, leading to an amputation. If your limb becomes too damaged to be salvaged, fingers or limbs may not be saved.
An amputation may be necessary if your accident is so severe that your limbs are pinned down or crushed. In some situations, sharp metal objects may result in lacerations in the limb or sever it completely. If not amputated, bacteria may enter the bloodstream, spreading infection into your vital organs and causing sepsis or death.
3. Neck and back injuries
Neck and back injuries after a motor vehicle crash are common. After the accident, you may experience immediate or delayed back and neck injury symptoms. Difficulty breathing, extreme neck, head, or back pain, inability to control the bladder, bowels, or balance, and more are the immediate signs to expect.
The delayed symptoms may include reduced vision or hearing, headaches multiple days after the crash, and pinching sensations or pain in the neck, back, or shoulders. Lumbar sprains, lumbar spine injuries, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, thoracic spine injuries, and face joint injuries are the neck and back injuries you may suffer after a car accident.
4. Broken bones
Broken bones and fractures are common occurrences in car accidents. You can break the back or neck’s spinal vertebrae, the clavicle, pelvic bone, fibula and femur, cranial, facial bones, or the sternum and ribs. Treatment plans are tailored based on the broken bone’s location.
5. Spinal cord injuries
A car crash can cause a sudden blow to your spinal cord and the surrounding tissues, like discs, vertebrae, and ligaments, breaking the vertebrae and crushing or dislocating sensitive tissues. Spinal cord injuries may cause spasms, paralysis, loss of feeling, and loss of bladder and bowel control.
Endnote
Auto crashes may cause severe injuries. Familiarize yourself with the common car accident injuries and find management tips or what you can do to prevent them.
