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Typical Injuries from Car Accidents

A car accident can cause injuries to almost every part of the body. The nature and severity of the injuries sustained depends on the speed of travel, type of vehicles involved, age and health of the victim, location of the impact and the severity of the collision itself. Below are some of the most common types of injuries that drivers or passengers can sustain during an automobile accident. Closed head injury and traumatic brain injuries are covered in other articles I have written and posted elsewhere on this and other sites of mine.

Burn Injuries Resulting from Car Accident

If a vehicle catches on fire during a traffic accident, the fire itself can lead to severe injury and even death. Burns result in excruciating pain, tissue damage, permanent scarring and disfigurement. Burn injuries range in severity from minor surface damage to complete destruction of all soft tissue affected. Depending on the severity of the injury, victims may require long-term treatment, including reconstructive surgery and physical therapy. Most victims will also require medication for pain and antibiotics to prevent infection.

Fractured Bones and Joint Damage are Common in a Car Accident

Broken bones and joint damage account for many of the injuries sustained in car accidents each year. Because these injuries are typically caused by the high-speed collision of multi-ton vehicles, they have the potential to be much more severe than typical fractures. In some cases, bones may be crushed of fragmented, causing further complications. Breaks and joint damage sustained in car crashes may require multiple surgeries, physical therapy and joint replacement. Knee replacement is especially common following an automobile accident. If a bone is crushed, fragments must be removed before the bone can be reconstructed.

Bruises and Lacerations Resulting from Car Accidents

During impact, the driver and passengers may hit the dashboard, windows or other parts of the vehicle, which often causes bruising. Flying debris and glass have the potential to tear the skin, causing lacerations to the face, arms, legs or torso. Depending on the depths of these lacerations, damage may be only aesthetic, or it may compromise the function of the muscles affected. The most common treatments are stitches and reconstructive surgery. However, lacerations can also become infected, which may result in further surgeries and even amputation in the most severe cases. Bruises usually heal on their own, but they can be quite painful.

Facial Damage From Car Accident

When a driver or passenger comes into contact with the steering wheel, dashboard or flying debris, severe damage to the face can occur. This may include broken nose, broken teeth and traumatic eye injuries. A broken nose must typically be set and bandaged, while broken teeth can require extensive dental work. Traumatic eye injuries, on the other hand, aren't as easy to treat. They result from injury to the ocular nerve, and they are often very painful. The eye may be unable to move, and vision may be compromised. In the most severe cases, an ocular injury can cause permanent blindness.

Car Accident Results in Spinal Injuries

Perhaps one of the most debilitating injuries a car crash victim can sustain is a spinal injury. When the spine is most severely damaged, the individual may become paralyzed from the neck or waist down. A paralyzed individual won't be able to control movements in any part of the affected region, and he or she may lose bladder control, bowl control and sexual function. If the spinal cord is pinched, stretched or otherwise mildly injured, the victim may lose motor function, experience severe pain or feel numbness and tingling in certain parts of the body. Treatment may involve surgery, physical therapy and pain management. For cases involving paralysis, ongoing care is a necessity.

Back Injuries Are Commonly Caused During Auto Accidents

Back injuries are another common occurrence in car crashes. In some cases, a disc in the back is ruptured or herniated. A herniated disc occurs when the cartilage between the vertebrae protrudes, causing pain, numbness and loss of mobility. Herniated discs are treated with steroid injections and physical therapy, but ongoing pain is common. When the condition is most severe, spinal fusion surgery is often necessary. However, the surgery itself can cause ongoing problems, such as scar tissue and restricted spinal movement.

Neck Injuries Result From Car Accidents

Neck injuries are common in car accidents, especially if the victim anticipated the crash before it occurred. A neck injury may affect the bones in the neck, as well as the surrounding soft tissues. As with the back, the discs in the neck can become herniated or ruptured, leading to pain, numbness and mobility restrictions. Typical treatments involve physical therapy, pain management, steroids and surgery. The soft tissue in the neck can also become strained or swollen following a crash, which can cause considerable pain. Regardless of the type of injury, the victim may spend tens of thousands of dollars on treatments.

Car Accidents Commonly Cause Whiplash

Whiplash, also called hyperextension or cervical strain, occurs when the neck moves suddenly and dramatically. The condition can cause pain, tenderness, swelling, muscle spasms and headaches. Treatments for whiplash typically involve icing the affected area, rest and limiting movement. Though whiplash is not as serious as some other common car accident injuries, it is still a painful condition. Furthermore, more severe neck injuries are sometimes mistaken for whiplash initially.

Auto Accidents Lead To Head Injuries

Car accidents involving impact to the head can cause skull fractures, nerve damage, concussion and brain swelling. In some cases, these injuries involve pain and resolve on their own with rest and preventative medications. However, many head injuries sustained in car accidents are severe. For example, many car crash victims develop traumatic brain injury, a potentially catastrophic condition that impairs brain function. Mild traumatic brain injury causes dizziness, light-headedness, confusion and pain. Severe brain injuries, on the other hand, cause problems with memory, concentration, critical thinking and other basic brain functions. Damage may be temporary or permanent. The most severe brain injuries result in a permanent vegetative state or death.

Mental Health Complications Caused By Car Accident

Though often overlooked, mental health problems are common following auto accidents. As a result of the trauma, some victims may experience anxiety or even post-traumatic stress disorder. Victims who sustain lasting injuries may also become depressed because of the pain and suffering they experience on a daily basis. When medical bills significantly affect the victim's financial situation, further anxiety, stress and depression may result.

Having your vehicle insured, whether a vehicle, car or truck, is legally required to operate your vehicle on public streets. Another reason to have insurance is your insurance company has a duty to defend you. They must provide you with an attorney to defend any cases brought against you under the policy.

Another good aspect of insurance is "medical-pay." States are very different when it comes to payment for medical bills incurred for injuries. Some states will pay for unlimited medical as long as it is reasonable and related to a motor vehicle accident. Other states make the insured purchase certain increments of medical-pay insurance. You must check with your agent as to how medical pay is handled in your state.

When there is a loss, as an insured you have certain duties to the insurance company. For example, you must notify them promptly, you may be required to cooperate with the company in its investigation and adjustment of the claim, you must promptly submit many medical bills, they may have a right to examine you under oath (this should be done with your attorney present), and they may have a right to ask you to sign authorizations for medical records.

Many states have adopted a No-Fault law that covers motor vehicle accidents. A No-Fault law is just that, it mandates certain bills and damages to be paid by your own insurance company no matter who is at fault in the accident.

Prior to No-Fault, the courts were clogged with all types of cases where individuals were suing the other driver for damage done to the vehicle, medical bills, wage loss, etc. Many No-Fault states have your own insurance company pay for such things like medical bills not covered by health insurance, damage to the vehicle, and wage loss. These states normally still preserve the right to sue the at fault driver for your pain and suffering.

You should have an attorney review the facts of your vehicle accident and injury case and all insurance policies involved:

Certain facts or the failure to follow-up on certain insurance coverages could cheat you out of thousands of dollars or even $1,000,000;

The Law Offices of Jason A. Waechter

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Get Started NOW - Call us at 1-800-708-5433

Many vehicle accident and motor vehicle accident victims across the country lose thousands of dollars because they did not understand vehicle insurance policies.

Many individuals BELIEVE THEY HAVE FULL COVERAGE WHEN THEY DO NOT, and others do not realize the major differences in various insurance coverage available to them.

Most bikes are not insured adequately. Many individuals believe they have full coverage when they do not! Therefore, I strongly recommend you review your insurance policy now; it's easy and it only takes a call to your insurance agent.

The following provisions are ones you need to check:

UNINSURED MOTORIST PROTECTION

There are hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road that do not carry any vehicle insurance. Therefore, if you are injured in an accident with an uninsured motorist, or involved in a "hit & run", you collect for your injuries from your "Uninsured Motorist" coverage in your policy. This pays for most damages and comes for your protection in amounts of at least $20,000 for one person in your car and $40,000 in total coverage for all occupants in your vehicle.

Some states require that your bike actually come into contact with another vehicle for you to be able to recover from an Uninsured Policy. The following examples illustrate the ability to collect compensation under different fact scenarios with this contact requirement.

If you do not have this coverage, then you and your family could lose up thousands of dollars which might be desperately needed. YOU SHOULD CARRY AT LEAST $100,000 TO $250,000 IN THE UNINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE. The more the better and it's cheap.

Unfortunately, most wrongdoers who have insurance carry only a $20,000 policy limit. This means that if you or a member of your family are seriously injured and the value of the claim would actually be $50,000 or $100,000, the wrongdoer insurance company would only have to pay you the $20,000 policy limit carried by the wrongdoer.

Some insurance companies are now beginning to offer the Underinsurance Motorist Coverage. Some insurance companies do not offer this coverage. Ask, and if yours does not, switch to a company that has it. This policy means that your own insurance company will pay you the true value of your injuries, if there is not enough insurance carried by the wrongdoer. THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD CARRY AT LEAST $100,000 to $250,000 IN THE UNDERINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE.

The Law Offices of Jason A. Waechter

No-Win No-Fee     FREE Advice

Get Started NOW - Call us at 1-800-708-5433

Talk with the owner of the firm, Jason A. Waechter

If you were recently involved in an auto accident resulting in injury or fatality, calling us is best: 1-800-708-5433 or simply fill out the short form below or on the right.