Types of Car Accident Injuries
Whether you live in the Belleville area or you’re here traveling, being involved in a car accident can cause serious, long-lasting impacts, such as injuries that could take weeks or even years to heal. Some types of injuries are common in car accidents.
Head, Neck, and Spine Injuries
These are some of the most common types of accidents.
Brain Trauma
Brain trauma can range from a mild concussion to permanent brain damage. A traumatic brain injury can have lasting effects on a person’s physical and mental abilities for several months or even years. Victims of brain trauma may also undergo a change in personality or mood. The trauma is caused by the brain smashing back and forth inside the skull. Like any other body part, the brain can bruise, start bleeding and nerve fibers can begin tearing.
Symptoms of traumatic brain injury include blurry vision, dizziness, and loss of consciousness at first. The person who has suffered a traumatic brain injury may seem confused or may not remember what happened immediately after the accident. Immediately, the brain begins swelling, which pushes itself against the school and reduces the amount of oxygen flowing into the brain. It is imperative to see a doctor if you have experienced any confusion or dizziness after your accident.
Whiplash
Whiplash occurs when there are muscle, tendon, or ligament injuries in the neck. During a car accident, your body moves suddenly, forcing your head to move forward and back in a manner you would not normally. This strains the muscles and other soft tissues and can cause extreme pain. However, the pain may not arrive for several hours or even days, which is why it is so important to seek medical help immediately after an accident.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Car accidents can cause injuries to the ligaments, discs, and vertebrae. When a vertebra breaks, it can affect the surrounding tissues. The victim may suffer severe nerve damage from the trauma on the spinal cord, but other effects of a spinal cord injury include:
- Extreme back pain
- Extreme pressure on your neck, head, or back
- Incoordination
- Paralysis
- Numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in hands or feet
- Difficulty breathing or coughing
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
Joint Injuries
The sudden impact of a car accident can cause your knees, elbows, wrists, or other joints to strike against the dashboard, the seat in front of you, or side doors. Because there are many tendons and ligaments that surround your joints, they can be injured or sprained as well as muscles. Your injury may require surgery and a long healing period to correct the damage to your soft tissues and joints. After surgery, you may require crutches or braces as well as several one-on-one appointments with a physical therapist. Joint injuries are very frustrating to victims because they caused difficulty with completing everyday tasks or enjoying life like they previously did. Joint injuries can make it very hard to walk, lift, write, and many other activities.
Cuts And Bruises
Cuts and scrapes can come from any number of places. Broken glass and metal from the collision can cause deep lacerations. But loose objects inside your car can also go flying during a collision, making them more dangerous. Laptops, hot beverages, cell phones, and other items can injure a person if they go flying inside a vehicle. Lacerations will require stitches to heal.
Bruises result from any of the soft tissue in the arms, legs, or midsection hitting the inside of the car doors or other seats during the impact. Generally, these will heal within a few to several weeks and do not cause permanent damage.
Chest Injuries
Many chest injuries result from using a seatbelt and can sometimes be life-threatening. Some of the most common chest injuries are contusions and bruises, broken or bruised ribs, and strained chest muscle. Seatbelts can exacerbate these symptoms but could protect your life.
Get Medical Help Immediately
An attorney cannot help you recover damages for your injuries if you do not have a strong case, and in order to build yours, you need solid evidence. Do not delay seeking medical treatment. Let us at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC us you. We will advise you and guide you through the process of recovering damages with care and compassion. Seeking medical treatment is good for your sake, so get checked out, and then call us to schedule your free consultation.