Most Common Injuries After a Car Accident
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you probably have a lot of questions. You may wonder how common your type of injury is, and whether it’s worth pursuing a claim. While car accident injuries can vary from person to person and from crash to crash, there are some fairly common ones. A number of the types of injuries we commonly see in people who have been in accidents aren’t immediately apparent right after the collision. It may take days for your neck or back to start to hurt, even though the damage was caused by the collision. More specific information for a particular case should always be obtained from a doctor. This blog will provide a general overview of common car accident injuries.
In general, here are some common types of injuries we see in people who have been the victims of auto collisions:
Herniated Discs
A herniated disc can put pressure on and inflame nerves coming out of the spine. This causes very severe pain, loss of feeling, and even loss of control of your muscles, typically in your arms or legs. These symptoms might occur right away, but also can develop in the weeks and months following an auto accident. These injuries require surgery at times and can cause long-term disability.
Head and Brain Injuries
When your head whips back and forth in an auto accident, or if your head strikes something inside your car, your brain can be impacted. This impact to the brain, called a “traumatic brain injury” (TBI) can cause long-term damage to brain function. These injuries are insidious, as they are not always obvious right away. Months later, the injured person or his family may notice that he or she is becoming forgetful, or is undergoing a personality change, often becoming less patient or even extremely irritated or angry, when that was not their normal state previously.
Shoulder Injuries
Because your shoulder belt only wraps over one shoulder, much of the force from an auto accident can be focused on that one shoulder when you are thrown forward by the impact of a motor vehicle collision. This can also impart a twisting motion to your body. These forces can cause many different injuries to the shoulder, ranging from deep bruising, to shoulder strains, or even severe tears of the shoulder ligaments that will require surgery to repair. Shoulder injuries often worsen over time and become chronic, so don’t ignore any shoulder symptoms after a motor vehicle collision.
Burn Injuries
Burns can run the spectrum from minor to fatal. Serious burns may require skin grafts and result in scarring.
Soft Tissue Injuries
When muscles, tendons, or ligaments are stretched or torn in an accident, the pain can be significant and lingering.
Spinal Injuries
When the spinal cord is damaged, and the severity of the injury, a loss of movement or sensation in the lower extremities may result.
Broken Bones
Broken bones can be extremely painful, may require surgery to fix, and can take a very long time to heal.
As you see, many of these injuries are very serious, but are not always obvious immediately after a car accident, so be on the lookout for them. And most of them are likely to get worse over time if not recognized or treated. Always have any symptoms carefully checked out and documented by a physician.
If you or someone you love are now suffering due to an accident, the car accident attorneys at Suarez & Montero are ready to help! Let the personal injury attorneys at Suarez & Montero review the circumstances of your accident and discuss your legal options. Our attorneys are ready to provide proven legal representation in pursuing your claim and stand ready to protect your rights.
Contact us today at 786 Lawyers for a free consultation!
