11 Most Common Car Accident Injuries
Automobile accidents are the top cause of death in the U.S. More than six million incidents occur annually. While millions are fatal, others result in serious and life-changing injuries.
While every car accident is unique, there are some injuries that are more common than others. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most common car accident injuries here.
1. Whiplash
Whiplash is the name for tendon, ligament, or muscle injury that commonly occurs during a car accident. When a car accident occurs, your body may move suddenly, much faster than you would move on your own.
The trauma can strain your muscles and many of your other soft tissues without breaking any bones. It’s a condition that can be extremely painful and take time to heal. It’s also tricky because symptoms of whiplash may not occur right away.
2. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
A car accident is the leading cause of TBIs. It occurs when the brain has been damaged by a piercing injury or a blog to the head. Every year, over 50,000 people pass away because of TBIs, with another 80,000 to 90,000 suffering a long-term disability.
3. Scrapes and Cuts
You may suffer cuts and scrapes due to a car accident. Some cuts can occur when your vehicle hits another one, or you may be hit by loose projectiles in the vehicle, such as your phone.
In either case, cuts and scrapes can be extremely painful and may pose a risk for an infection or another complication.
4. Soft Tissue Injuries
Bruising strains, sprains, and an array of other damage can occur to your ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which are all soft tissues. These are injuries that are very common during an automobile accident.
While these injuries may not seem significant in the beginning, they can lead to painful issues in the future.
5. Broken Ribs and Other Bones
Your ribs are very fragile. Even a seemingly light or moderate impact can cause your ribs to break. You could suffer broken ribs in an auto accident if you are pushed sideways, backward, or forward due to the impact of the accident.
If you suffer broken ribs, it can be quite painful and require long periods of rest, which may result in you being unable to work.
Other broken bones may occur during a car accident, too. This includes broken hips, shoulders, legs, arms, and more. Car accidents put unnatural force on your body.
If it is too much than your body can withstand, you may suffer a painful break. Broken bones are very common in all types of accidents, including side-impact and rear-end accidents.
6. Limb Loss and/or Amputation
A toe, finger, leg, arm or other appendages may be severed during a crash. They may also be significantly damaged, which requires you to undergo surgical amputation. This injury may have permanent effects on the accident victim.
7. Internal Bleeding
While it isn’t uncommon for you to suffer a cut or another type of laceration during an accident, it isn’t surprising to experience internal bleeding, too. Internal bleeding can be extremely dangerous, especially if you don’t seek treatment in a timely manner after the crash.
Be sure to seek medical care, even if you don’t think you were injured. If there is any possibility that you are experiencing internal bleeding, it is important to seek emergency care to ensure your injuries aren’t life-threatening.
8. Disfiguring Facial Scars or Injuries
A facial injury during a car accident may be the result of broken glass, or an impact with your steering wheel, side window, airbag, car seat, windshield, dash, and any other hard surface. The disfigurement caused by facial injuries during an accident may require surgical correction and may result in a permanent scar.
9. A Herniated Disc
Just as if you break a bone during a car accident, you may also suffer from a herniated disc. This occurs if one or more of your vertebrae in your spine shift out of the proper position or rupture. A herniated disc can result in serious complications and pain.
10. Burns
If your vehicle happens to catch on fire after a crash occurs, or if your skin comes in contact with hot chemicals, steam, surfaces, or hot fluids, you or other people in the vehicle may suffer a serious burn. Severe burns may require you to undergo extensive surgery and result in the need for skin grafting.
11. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Not all auto accident injuries are physical. You may suffer from emotional or mental injuries due to a car accident. You may have suffered from PTSD and things that may have been routine will become extremely worrisome, or in some cases, impossible.
You may be able to recover for the emotional suffering and mental health treatment after you are involved in a car accident.
Getting to Know the Most Common Car Accident Injuries
When it comes to the most common car accident injuries, there are more than a few that can occur. By knowing what these are, you will know what to look for if you are ever involved in an injury-causing accident.
If you are involved in an accident that causes an injury that was the result of someone else’s wrongful act or negligence, you may be able to recover compensation. If you want to discover if you have a case, contact our legal team for help. We will review the facts of your case and let you know what options you have.
