Common Injuries in Car Accidents
Physical injuries sustained in car accidents often range from the minor, such as abrasions and bruises, to the more severe like traumatic brain and internal organ damage. While the types and severity of injuries experienced are affected by several factors, there are some common injuries often seen. Injuries to the head, neck, and back, as well as internal injuries and injuries to the upper and lower limbs are the most frequently occurring injuries received in a car accident.
Injuries to the head and neck may include everything from whiplash to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Whiplash, a soft tissue injury, damages the nerves, ligaments, and muscles in the neck. Symptoms of whiplash such as neck pain, swelling, muscle spasms, headaches, and tenderness can set in at any time, i.e., immediately after an accident or several hours later. This condition can be either temporary or permanent in nature. Most people completely recover from a whiplash injury within six weeks, but in some cases, it may take up to a year or more.
Spinal injuries, such as slipped discs, compression fractures, bulges, and herniations can be especially debilitating and result in numerous surgeries. Arm and leg weakness, numbness and difficulty breathing are just a few of the early indicators that you may have experienced a spinal injury if involved in a car accident.
Fractures and broken bones, torn rotator cuffs, and dislocations are also common injuries related to car accidents, as are internal injuries involving the spleen, kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs. In most cases, surgery, hospitalization, and sometimes rehabilitation are needed.
A far more serious brain injury is TBI. TBI may result in temporary or permanent impairment of the brain’s function and occurs when the head violently or suddenly impacts with an object, or an object pierces the skull, entering the brain tissue. TBI may be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can range from mild to severe. People with a TBI injury may brush off headaches, dizziness, fatigue, ringing in the ears, or blurred vision as just minor discomfort instead of indicators of a more severe brain injury.
After being involved in a car accident, you should seek medical attention. Even if you believe the discomfort you are experiencing is only minor, it is better to confirm that the symptoms are not masking a more serious medical condition that may prove life threatening.
To learn more about your legal entitlements, it is important to speak with skilled truck accident lawyers, product liability attorneys, wrongful death lawyers, and Sacramento and Stockton personal injury attorneys.