Up to one million people are admitted to various hospitals every year for car accident injuries. Some of these injuries can be so severe that victims have to stay in hospitals for several months, while others are minor scratches that heal immediately. No matter the kind of injuries, car accidents are frightening and devastating.
Apart from physical injuries, victims suffer psychological trauma and financial losses that take them a lot of time to recover from. If you or your loved one is injured in an accident, it’s important to be aware of your injuries to know what to expect in terms of the recovery period and medical needs.
This article explains some common types of car accident injuries, how they happen, and the extent of the injuries.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries involve damage to the soft tissues of the body, including the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. These injuries cause pain, swelling, and soreness in the injured areas. The injuries happen when force from the impact causes a thrash and jolt to the occupants.
The most common soft tissue injuries are sprains and strains. A sprain happens when two muscles of a joint rub together, causing discomfort and pain. A strain occurs when the muscles or tissues within the body get injured.
Another soft tissue injury is a bruise that mostly happens on the skin’s surface. Most bruises are usually minor, but some can be life-threatening. For instance, a bruise on your chest can go to your heart, causing many complications.
Whiplash Injuries
Whiplash is another common injury after a car accident which is also classified under soft tissue injuries. When an impact from a severe collision thrush your head and neck back and forth with great force, you’ll suffer a whiplash injury.
The sudden and violent movement of the neck causes the muscles and ligaments to stretch beyond their limits.
If you suffer a whiplash, you might start feeling the pain immediately, or it can take some time before you feel anything.
Some symptoms of whiplash include stiffness of the neck, neck pain, back pain, confusion, etc. If not treated on time, whiplash can result in a lot of pain and discomfort around the neck and back.
If you feel any pain or discomfort around the neck and back after an accident, it’s important to seek medical help immediately. Getting treated before the symptoms can escalate will help you recover faster and save you from hefty medical bills.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
When you hit your head on a hard object or surface, you’ll suffer primary injuries to the head, and it can go up to the brain. Traumatic brain injuries occur when there’s bruising, bleeding, and tearing of some nerve fibers in the brain. Depending on the impact, TBI can involve the entire brain or a specific nob.
Some symptoms of TBI include confusion, dizziness, blurry vision, and forgetfulness. Sometimes a person who suffered TBI may appear fine before the symptoms show. After some time, they may develop a secondary injury that causes the brain to swell and push toward the skull.
Car accident victims sometimes fail to recognize TBI symptoms even when they’re so obvious. It’s always important to seek medical help after an accident or immediately you notice a behavior change.
Don’t ignore even a minor injury, such as a fender bender, because delayed treatment can worsen the situation.
Broken Bones
The impact of the accident sometimes causes broken bones. Unlike whiplash and TBI, broken bones cause excruciating pain right away and are very easy to identify. The direct impact causes bone fractures, affecting the leg, arm, ribs, or ankles.
Rib fractures are the most common under these types of injuries and are usually caused by seatbelts or car crumpling.
Symptoms of broken bones include pain, inability to stand on the affected area, swelling, and difficulty moving. Some fractures even cause a tear in the surface of the skin, making them easy to diagnose.
If you have severe swelling after an accident or experience symptoms such as pain, swelling, and broken skin, you definitely have a bone fracture. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek immediate medical help.
Arm and Leg Injuries
While broken bones can also affect the arms and legs, it also involves other body parts such as the ribs. Some injuries only occur to the arms and legs, and these can be joint dislocation or lost limbs. Any of these injuries can change your life entirely if you don’t seek medical help.
A joint dislocation happens when two joints that meet at a particular point pull apart due to the impact of the accident.
If you feel pain in the joint area after an accident, it will be a clear sign of dislocation. Have your arm or leg checked properly to get prompt medical help.
Loss of limbs also happens due to the trauma from the impact of the accident or complications that occur later on.
Lost limbs can be painful and life-changing. You might not walk normally again if you lose your leg or go back to work with a missing arm.
Ensure you get prompt medical help if you lose a limb after an accident to avoid further complications.
Getting Compensation for Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents cause different kinds of injuries, both physical and psychological. These injuries can be mild or severe, depending on the impact. Whether a minor injury or a severe one, it’s important to seek medical help immediately.
Once you get treatment and a doctor’s report regarding your injuries and treatment, you can file for personal injury compensation. These injuries will cost you a lot in terms of hefty medical bills and losses due to missed work. If someone else caused the accident, you don’t have to bear the burden alone.
Get an experienced personal injury attorney to help you collect evidence of your injuries, witness testimonies, and put together reports from your doctor and the police.
With this information, you can file a personal injury claim and get the insurance companies of the fault parties to compensate you.
Remember to pursue your settlement as soon as you can, keeping in mind the statute of limitations in your state.
