A Closer Look at the Common Injuries after a Car Crash
Posted by admin at 28 February 2019, at 18 : 20 PM
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that over three million individuals are injured in vehicle accidents every year across the country. The various injuries that result from car accidents may be as various as the specific circumstances of every collision. However, there are some kinds of injuries that tend to occur more often.
Some auto accident injuries might be resolved within just a few days without needing any medical treatment. However, more serious injuries might end up being permanent and could result in physical disabilities.
The severity and types of injuries that are suffered by both drivers and passengers who are in car accidents will depend on a number of different factors, including the following:
* Were there airbags in the car?
* Was it a high-speed crash or low-speed collision?
* Was the person facing straight ahead in their seat? Or was the individual’s body or head turn in a specific direction?
* Was the car hit from the front, side or rear?
* Was the individual wearing a seat belt?
Car accidents cause two major categories of injuries: (1) penetrating injuries, and (2) impact injuries. Typically impact injuries are causes when a part of an individual’s body hits a part of the car’s interior. This can often be their head hitting the side window or seat rest or a knee that hits the dashboard. Typically, penetrating injuries are scrapes and cuts. Loose objects that fly into the inside of the car or shattering glass on impact frequently cause these kinds of injuries.
Car Accidents and Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are when the body’s connective tissues have been damaged, which are the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. These are the most common types of injuries that result from car accidents. There are many forms of soft tissue injuries.
A “whiplash” kind of injury to the upper back and neck is a type of soft tissue injury. With this kind of injury, the ligaments and muscles get stretched due to the sudden movements that are imposed on the neck and head when the collision occurs. Those same forces and mechanisms may cause soft tissue injuries in other parts of the body like the back.
Frequently car accidents cause low-back and mid-back muscle sprains, and at times may cause back injuries that are more serious due to the impact force that the spine experiences.
Cuts and Scrapes
When a car collision occurs, any loose objects that are inside the vehicle become projectiles immediately and get thrown about the interior of the car. That includes dash-mounted GPS systems, books, purses, eyeglasses, coffee mugs, cell phones, etc. If any of those objects hit your body, your skin can be easily cut or other injuries can be caused as well.
Sometimes the cuts and scrapes are fairly minor and do not require any medical treatment. Injuries that are more serious might require stitches and can result in a loss of blood.
Scrapes or cuts may also be caused if the airbag is deployed during a collision.
Car Accidents and Head Injuries
There are a number of different forms that a head injury can take, with some being very severe and others are relatively minor. A car’s unexpected change in direction or stop can cause an occupant’s head to experience unnatural and sudden movements. That can cause muscle strains in the back and neck. However, the head itself may also be injured. Bruising and scrapes to the head can be caused by impact with the steering wheel or side window, or deeper lacerations can also occur. Collision impacts that are more severe may cause closed head injuries. In these situations, tissue and fluids inside of the skull become damaged due to the impact or sudden movement of the head. Closed head injuries that are less severe frequently result in concussions, and brain damage can be caused by the most severe impacts.
Chest Injuries
Another common occurrence in car accidents is chest injuries. Typically those injuries are in the form of bruises or contusions but may be more severe, like internal injuries or broken ribs. Drivers frequently sustain chest injuries due to being seated behind a steering wheel, and that doesn’t allow for much freedom of movement prior to the chest colliding into the steering wheel. The Law Office Of Michael R. Herron provide more insight.
When an individual’s body gets thrown forward during a collision although it may not impact the dashboard or steering wheel, the chest area still will experience a great deal of force against the seat belt or shoulder harness which can cause serious bruising.
Leg and Arm Injuries
Those same forces that throw an individual’s head unexpectedly around in a car collision act in a similar way on the legs and arms. If a side impact is suffered by your car, your legs and arms may be thrown forcefully against the door. When you are a passenger in a vehicle, typically your legs do not have a lot of room for movement. Frequently a car accident will cause the knees of the occupant to hit the seats or dashboard. Depending on the collision, injuries to the legs and arms might only be scrapes or bruise, but breaks and sprains can also occur.
Remember that some injuries are not always readily apparent after a car accident. It could take months, weeks or days for any symptoms to appear, depending on the injury. So if you are ever in a car accident, the best thing to do is seek medical treatment, even if you are only experiencing slight discomfort, or you have any early indications of potential injuries.