Most Common Injuries After a Car Accident

Common Injuries After Car Accidents

While every car accident is different in terms of precise cause and severity, there are many injuries that are commonly suffered after a serious car accident. If you’ve been in a car accident, seek immediate medical attention and contact a car accident lawyer to learn about your next steps. Below are some common injuries associated with car accidents:

Whiplash

“Whiplash” describes a condition where, due to a sudden change in speed, the muscles and bones of your neck suffer severe strain. If you come away from a car accident with whiplash, you may have difficulty turning your head left to right for a short period of time.

If it turns out that your whiplash is more severe, you may suffer nerve damage or prolonged muscle strain. Whiplash can be very uncomfortable to contend with, particularly if it goes untreated for a considerable amount of time. The good news is that the paramedics who attend the scene of a car accident tend to look for whiplash and the signs thereof.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of whiplash can sometimes develop several days after your accident occurs. If you suspect that you are contending with the symptoms of whiplash, you can contact your local health care provider for guidance as to how to treat your condition. Do not delay going to a doctor’s office, urgent care, or emergency room if you find yourself in severe pain.

Fractures and/or Broken Bones

The force of a collision with another car can force your arms, legs, or other extremities into uncomfortable positions. In some cases, any attempt to protect yourself from additional harm may see you deal with a fracture or broken bone. These conditions can range from knee injuries to permanent spinal damage.

It is often easy to determine when you may have broken a bone. The pain and abrupt lack of mobility can often clue you in as to the condition you may be facing. Similarly, the paramedics who attend the scene of your accent can provide you with a splint to better stabilize a broken bone until you can seek out more comprehensive medical care. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries occur when the force of a car accident presses your brain up against your skull. Traumatic brain injuries can have a variety of impacts on your day-to-day life. Minor concussions, for example, can cause eye strain, difficulty with memory, and even some problems with mobility. The more severe traumatic brain injury is, the more likely it is that you may have to seek out long-term rehabilitation to regain previous skills. In some cases, traumatic brain injuries, particularly when paired with spinal injuries, can result in permanent paralysis.

It is always in your best interest to discuss the nature of your traumatic brain injury with an attending medical professional. If you are not in the position to discuss your condition, you can elect a personal representative to conduct these conversations for you.

Should you be the party helping a person with a traumatic brain injury seek out long-term care, you can collaborate with a personal injury attorney to determine your best path forward. There may even be cases where you may pursue legal action on behalf of a person who can no longer represent themselves in civil court.

Internal Injuries

While these may not be the first injuries that come to mind, internal bodily harm is incredibly common after a car accident. The following symptoms may imply a serious internal injury:

• Nausea
• Pain without a visible reason or source
• Bruising
• Blood in your urine or stool
• Signs of shock
• Feeling cold
• Lightheadedness, vertigo, or dizziness
• Weakness or fatigue in the muscles
• Fainting or syncope
• Numbness
• Vision problems
• Headaches
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Vomiting or diarrhea

The following are internal injuries commonly experienced after a car accident:

• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage, such as to the kidney or liver
• Bleeding in the brain
• Ruptured spleen, or an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Punctured lung

After your accident, we recommend seeking medical attention. Your doctor can help you identify latent internal injuries and establish treatment plans to aid you on the road to recovery. If you need assistance finding a trustworthy practitioner, don’t hesitate to contact us. Kash Legal can walk you through your options and provide a referral so you receive high quality care.

Spinal Injuries

There is also the risk of other spinal injuries after a car accident. The following are some of the most common spinal injuries you may face:

• Herniated disc
• Vertebral fractures
• Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal
• Spondylolisthesis, or a vertebra slipping out of place
• Injuries to the spinal cord, damage to the nerve fibers

Depending on the severity of your injuries, your provider may want to send you to a specialist. If you need assistance finding a doctor or specialist to aid you in your recovery, don’t wait to ask Kash Legal for help. We can provide a referral, handle legal tasks as you recover, and help you receive the compensation you deserve after such a challenging time.