Car accidents can cause several different types of injuries. Even those collisions that seem minor can cause someone to get hurt. The extent of the injuries depends on a range of factors including the force of the collision, where passengers were seated in the vehicle and whether the occupants were wearing seat belts. Some injuries are more common than others. Let’s discuss some of them.
Whiplash
This is one of the most common injuries seen by doctors and Coye Law Firm’s skilled car accident attorneys. It occurs when a vehicle stops or turns suddenly and the neck is forced to whip back and forth. The muscles and tendons in the neck are damaged by the motion. Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the neck, reduced range of motion and pain that gets worse with movement. Some cases of whiplash heal easily but others require more extensive treatment. That’s why you should see a doctor immediately after a crash and then consult an attorney if another driver was at fault.
Broken bones
Either blunt force or compression can result in bone fractures. Any bone can break but car accidents usually result in breaks to the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Arm and hand injuries are common in rear-end car accidents because the driver typically has his hands on the wheel at the point of impact. Symptoms of broken bones are swelling, deformity, bruising, redness and severe pain.
Cuts and scrapes
Loose objects in the car can become projectiles when a crash occurs. Mugs, cellphones, keys and GPS devices can hit any part of your body and leave a cut or scratch behind. You can also be injured by shattered glass, the airbags, or your seat belt. The injuries are often so minor that they can be treated on the scene but sometimes lots of blood is lost. Some victims require stitches.
Concussion
This is another injury which can occur when your head is thrown back and forth in a car crash. Your head doesn’t even have to physically hit an object. Sometimes the symptoms appear right away. Some people lose consciousness while others report headache, dizziness, ringing of the ears or seeing “stars”. These signs of a concussion can show up immediately but sometimes they take a few hours.
Soft-tissueinjuries
These affect muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves anywhere in the body which was bent, compressed or stretched during the crash. They can be just as painful as a bone fracture and they can prevent you from carrying out many normal everyday activities. Symptoms include inflammation, swelling, redness and pain which gets worse with activity.
Chest Injuries
Car accidents can also result in chest injuries. These are usually bruises but they can also be more serious like broken ribs or internal injuries. When a collision occurs, drivers can slam into the steering wheel. They may also be thrown forward against the seat belt with a high level of force. This can cause severe bruising.
Any accident, no matter how small, can result in injuries. Sometimes the symptoms don’t show up until days or hours after the crash. If you’ve been injured in a crash, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. You should then consult a car accident attorney for advice.