The National Safety Council has indicated that one out of eight drivers will be involved in a car accident this year. This is not surprising, given that the average American drives thousands of miles every year. Some accidents involve minor injuries only, while others involve catastrophic injuries or even death. Regardless of the severity of a car accident, certain types of injuries occur with regular frequency. This page discusses some of these injuries. This information is not meant to substitute for or provide medical advice. It is merely meant to provide information about common injuries sustained in car accidents. If you have been injured as the result of a car accident, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you have questions about your legal rights related to those injuries, Barrett Law PLLC, can help. Jonathan Barrett is experienced in representing individuals injured in the Lexington, Mississippi, area as a result of car accidents. Our law firm can be reached at (800) 707-9577.
Injuries to the head, neck, and spine are some of the most common injuries sustained in car accidents. This is because even if the accident is relatively minor and occurs at a low speed, whiplash can occur. Whiplash is an injury to the neck resulting from a sudden, sharp movement of the head backward or forward. It often manifests itself through a painful stiffness of the neck and shoulders as well as headaches. Injuries to the face and head can occur from broken glass, airbags being deployed, other debris, or more forceful contact with objects or other vehicles, leading to cuts, bruises, broken bones, and concussions.
In extremely severe cases, significant trauma to the head can result in traumatic brain injuries, leading to long-term or permanent cognitive impairment, or severing of the spinal cord entirely, resulting in paralysis or death. Severe impact can also cause injuries to the discs between the bones in the spine, which can result in herniation or displacement of these discs. Very often, surgery is required to repair these injuries.
Broken bones are also common. Typically areas for breaks include hands, wrists, and arms, the ribcage, pelvic factures, and ankle and foot factures. Some breaks are minor and easy to repair with standard casts; other breaks are much more complicated and involve insertion of pins, rods, plates or screws and a significant period of immobilization.
Soft tissue injuries, or injuries to your internal organs or muscles, are often experienced by car accident victims, even in relatively minor accidents, depending upon the type of impact. Such injuries can include diaphragm injuries, resulting from blunt force to the chest or abdominal area. These injuries are typically associated with side or front impact crashes. Abdominal and pelvic injuries involving hip fractures or injuries to the organs in your abdominal and pelvic area (liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, and reproductive organs) are also typically associated with side or front impact crashes.
These injuries are only some of the injuries that an individual involved in a car accident might experience. Certainly, depending on the nature of the car accident, other injuries may occur. If you have been in a car accident and believe that you have suffered an injury other than one discussed above, or one of the injuries discussed above, it is vital that you seek medical attention immediately.
Suffering through the days, weeks, and months after you have been seriously injured in a car accident is an extremely trying time. Trying to deal with recovering damages for injuries you have sustained like the ones described above is not something you should have to do alone. Barrett Law PLLC, is here to help you. Let us put our experience to work for you. Please contact us today at (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free and completely confidential initial consultation.