Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accidents can happen in a wide variety of places like Escondido or Oceanside, and with many different underlying causes, yet there are certain types of injuries that are more common than others in car accidents. Some types of common car accident injuries are not especially severe, and although they may require medical care and result in lost workdays, the injured person usually will recover. Other types of common car accident injuries, however, can be life-threatening or fatal. The following are some of the most common car accident injuries, followed by information about how to proceed with a claim if you got hurt in a collision.

Injuries in motor vehicle crashes can vary significantly in terms of severity. For example, for some injury victims, internal bleeding may be minor and will clear up on its own, while other scenarios in which a person sustains internal injuries can require emergency surgery. Similarly, some brain injuries are mild, while others can result in death. WebMD provides information about common car accident injuries, which frequently include the following:

• Whiplash: Whiplash is a type of neck sprain or strain that often results from rear-end car accidents. According to WebMD, it can have a variety of symptoms depending upon how the neck is damaged. In general, however, it tends to result from “an abrupt backward and/or forward jerking motion of the head” in which a person’s intervertebral joint, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerves can sustain damage. Whiplash symptoms often do not appear for several hours after a car accident, and sometimes symptoms take days to show up. Those symptoms may include neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Many different types of TBIs can occur in a car accident, from mild traumatic brain injuries like concussions to severe TBIs in which an object penetrates the head and hits the brain. Sometimes whiplash can also cause a brain injury. Since the types of TBIs vary so widely, symptoms also vary. If you took a hit to the head in a collision, or if you experienced a violent jolt to your head in a crash, you should be seen by a doctor.
• Internal bleeding: After a car accident, internal bleeding can be a very serious injury. Sometimes symptoms are delayed, and it can take hours or even days before you realize you have suffered internal injuries. When internal bleeding is not treated immediately, it can result in life-threatening damage to the head, lungs, heart, and abdomen. Often severe internal bleeding will have symptoms that can include pain, swelling, ecchymosis (which is an area of the skin that has become purple in color), dizziness, and fainting. You should know that internal bleeding is often a medical emergency and should be treated immediately.
• Fractures: Broken bones in the body, as well as facial fractures, are a common type of car accident injury. Many different types of bones in the body can be fractured, and there are a variety of specific types of fractures. Facial fractures often result in disfigurement. Regardless of where the fracture occurs, you will need medical attention, and you should anticipate that the injury will not heal for months or longer, according to WebMD.

If you suffered a common type of car accident injury, you should speak with an auto accident lawyer as soon as possible about filing a claim. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to get started on your case.