What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?

Did you know that there are over five million car accidents per year in the United States? 

The three most common causes of car accidents are distracted driving, driving under the influence, and speeding. When a car accident occurs, injuries can be common. 

Knowing what injuries you could have is an important step in handling a car accident. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of common car accident injuries and what to expect, as well as what to do after a car accident.

If you’re ready to become acquainted with any potential injuries you could sustain, read on to 2023 car accident trends.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Forty-three percent of car accidents result in some sort of injury. That’s equivalent to about four car accident injuries per minute. 

When you’ve been in a car accident, there are any number of injuries that you could have sustained. It’s difficult to know what symptoms to look for.

The list of potential injuries and explanations below can help you know what to be prepared for in the event of a car accident.

Whiplash

Whiplash is an injury to the neck, also known as neck sprain or strain. Whiplash occurs when the head abruptly makes a forward and backwards jerking motion, which is why it is such a common result of car accidents. The car coming to a sudden stop forces the body to make the motions that cause the injury.

Symptoms of whiplash may present anywhere from 24 hours to a few days after the accident. These symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and low back pain.

Whiplash cannot be diagnosed by an X-ray and often needs other scanning equipment. This is because most whiplash injuries are damage to the soft tissue of the neck.

There is no one set treatment for whiplash. However, it can be treated with pain medications such as NSAIDs.

If you suspect whiplash, it is recommended that your neck be iced in the first 24 hours. Following the first day, gentle movements are recommended to avoid stiffness setting in.

Broken Bones

If you have been in a car accident, you should know that fractures are another very common injury. This could mean broken arms, wrists, legs, or ribs. Some accident victims end up with a broken pelvis.

Symptoms of broken bones include intense pain, visibly misshapen limbs, limited mobility, and numbness or tingling.

The severity of these breaks varies. It may be a simple break, which only requires a cast, or it may be a compound break that would require surgery. 

If you suspect a broken bone, you should find transportation to the nearest emergency room.

Concussions and Other Brain Damage

The same back-and-forth movement that causes whiplash can also cause concussions in a car accident. Concussions are typically caused either by that movement or a direct blow to the head.

Symptoms of concussions can include confusion, exhaustion, memory loss, headaches, and memory loss surrounding the accident.

If the injury is severe enough, it moves from a concussion into the realm of traumatic brain injury. This could mean anything from a bone pressing up against the brain to bleeding in the brain.

Traumatic brain injuries share all the same symptoms that concussions do. In addition to those, a person with a traumatic brain injury could experience convulsions, poor muscle control, unusual eye movements, and drastic personality changes.

If you hit your head in a car accident at all, you should go to a doctor immediately.

Joint Injuries

Joint injuries are another common injury that results from car accidents. There are many bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles that connect to the joints. It is possible for any of these to break, tear, or become otherwise injured in a car accident.

The neck, hand, and feet joints are especially prone to injury in car accidents. 

Symptoms of joint injury can include stiffness, limited range of motion, and inflammation. Depending on how severe the joint injury is, you may simply end up with the joint in a brace or cast. If it is more severe, however, then you could end up needing surgery.

Bruises, Laceration, and Road Rash

Bruises, lacerations, and road rash are all minor injuries that often occur as a result of car accidents. 

Bruises are caused by the body impacting any foreign object, or a foreign object impacting the body. Lacerations are cuts that can be caused by broken glass, torn metal, or other flying objects. 

Road rashes are abrasions – or scrapes – caused by friction from skidding or being dragged on concrete or pavement. 

All of these injuries are visible to the eye more often than not, so a thorough examination should allow you to catch these injuries.

To treat bruises, you should raise the affected area above the rest of your body to maximize blood flow and let it rest. You should also ice it for periods of about twenty minutes at a time.

Road rash wounds will need to be thoroughly cleaned and bandaged. Laceration wounds will also need to be cleaned and bandaged. In some cases, your doctor may need to stitch a laceration closed.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are injuries to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Many of these injuries occur in joints, which were already discussed above. 

There are two types of soft tissue injuries. The first type is acute, in which the injury presents immediately after the accident and heals with time. The second type is chronic, which are long-lasting and affect your quality of life.

Soft tissue injuries are particularly tricky as they don’t show up right away. In addition, they aren’t visible on an x-ray. 

You should see a doctor immediately after a car accident, so they can diagnose any soft tissue injuries. The earlier they are caught, the lower the chance an injury will worsen or become chronic.

Soft tissue injuries are generally treated with medication or surgery, depending on severity.

Nerve Damage

Nerve damage is an injury that affects the body’s central nervous system. Most people think of damage to the spinal cord when they think of nerve damage. We will be covering two other types of nerve damage in this section, and spinal cord damage in another.

The other two main types of nerve damage are sensory nerve damage and damage to the digital nerves. Sensory nerve damage interferes with sensation or feeling things. Digital nerve damage is mainly damage to the hands from cuts or hand trauma.

Common symptoms of nerve damage are difficulty speaking, loss of muscle strength, abnormal pain or numbness, and paralysis. 

Doctors will run tests to determine the severity of nerve damage and decide on treatment. In the most severe cases, there may not be any way to treat it apart from relieving pain.

Internal Damage

Internal bleeding or other injuries usually aren’t obvious right away.

Many of the signs and symptoms aren’t obvious to the average person until the internal bleeding has gotten severe. However, you can look out for bruising under the skin, limited range of movement, and blood in your urine.

Internal bleeding is one of the biggest reasons why you should always go to a hospital as soon as you can. They are life-threatening injuries if left unchecked for too long. 

Internal injuries can be anything from broken ribs to a lung collapsing. The severity of your injuries can be diagnosed by receiving a full body scan.

As with many other cases, the treatment for internal damage to the body varies from medication to surgery depending upon severity. 

Spinal Injuries

The human spine is not designed to deal with the type of impact that car crashes cause. As a result, there are many different types of injury that can occur.

When it comes to spine and back injuries, it is better to go to the hospital immediately to have them confirmed or ruled out than it is to have them present later. 

Back injuries can become serious and long-lasting if left untreated. They can include anything from various types of back strain to paralysis.

Paralysis isn’t always permanent. Sometimes it is caused by blood and swelling in the spinal cord. It can retreat once the injury has been treated.

If the nerves are permanently damaged and paralysis results, then all that can be done is pain management. Otherwise, your doctor will determine the best course of action.

What to Do After a Car Accident

When a car accident happens, it may be hard to keep yourself calm.

There are many different things going on at once. Your body is full of adrenaline. It’s hard to know what to do at that moment, which is why you should already know the procedure beforehand.

The most important thing you can do is take deep breaths to stay calm and rational. As you do that, follow the steps we’ve outlined below. 

Immediate Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, the first thing that you need to do is call 911. In many places, this is required by law. Even if it isn’t, it’s good practice to call them in case someone is physically endangered or seriously injured.

Following that, if you are able, move away from the vehicle and to safety. Do not move the vehicle – it is important that law enforcement can see everything the way it was.

Exchange details with the other party in the accident, particularly car insurance. Ask any potential witnesses for their contact information in case it is needed.

Finally, if it is safe to do so, take pictures of the accident and the surrounding road. This will paint a clear picture of what happened. In addition, it will help any case that you are looking to build.

Seeing a Doctor

Once you are permitted to leave the accident, you should go straight to a doctor. If you aren’t taken there by EMTs, you should go to the doctors on your own. 

This is important even if you feel perfectly fine.

When in a car accident and dealing with the immediate aftermath, your body is full of adrenaline. Adrenaline can mask the pain of even serious wounds, making you not realize it is there. When the adrenaline fades, it all hits at once.

Going to the doctor’s office can help ensure that you aren’t injured. If you are injured, by any chance, then they can take care of you before it becomes more serious.

Seeking Legal Help

After taking care of the immediate aftermath and double-checking your physical health, you should hire an attorney as soon as possible. 

Car accident attorneys can help you file a legal claim. If you have been injured, they can also help you recover any losses you suffer while recovering. If you need to find more information, the previously linked site will help you.

Even if you do not need to get compensation for injuries, hiring a car accident attorney can be one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. They will help you in every area that you can imagine, from insurance claims to anything legal.

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Now that you’ve learned all you need to about car accident injuries and what to do in the event of one, you have a firm foundation for how to handle one. While you’re still on our website, why don’t you find another article to read?

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