Common Injuries from Car Accident

Automobile accidents are one of the top causes of personal injury in the United States, with Nevada averaging about 300 traffic fatalities a year in addition to numerous accidents that cause bodily and psychological damages. If you or someone you love has been the victim of an auto accident that wasn’t your fault, you may have a personal injury claim. Automobile accidents can result in various injuries, from minor lacerations or bruises to broken bones, spinal injuries, and even death. Here are some common car accident injuries and how to recognize them.

Head Injuries

Brain injuries resulting from a car accident can range from mild to severe, depending on the type of impact and where the head was hit. Concussions are caused by bruising, bleeding, and swelling of the brain and can happen whether you’re knocked unconscious or not. They can also occur without even hitting your head on anything if you experience extreme whiplash to the neck area.

Another common head injury resulting from a car accident is a traumatic brain injury. A direct blow to the head causes this type of head injury. Either the head hit something in the vehicle, or something hit or pierced the head. Traumatic brain injuries can be quite severe and require treatment beyond rest and time for the brain to heal, like concussions.

If you experience headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, nausea, balance issues, confusion, lethargy, or are bothered by noise or light; you may have suffered a head injury. Any head injury should be evaluated by a medical professional as soon as possible after an accident.

Back Injuries

Injuries to the back are common in car accidents due to the impact of the crash. Back injuries can range from a sore back to a spinal injury and even paralysis. They also include fractures, herniated discs, soft tissue injury, and whiplash. Back injuries may also not show up immediately following an accident. Signs of a back injury include pain or tenderness of the back, bruising, swelling, stiffness, difficulty moving, muscle spasms, pain radiating down one or both legs, and pain that worsens with laughing, coughing, and moving.

If you experience any of these symptoms, even if it’s days after your accident, see your doctor for a complete physical examination, and be sure to include the fact that you were recently involved in an automobile accident.

Internal Injuries

It’s not uncommon for our insides to get jumbled in a car accident, causing internal injuries. These injuries can include damage to internal organs such as the spleen, kidneys, liver, and abdomen. You may also rupture your diaphragm or puncture a lung. It’s critical to seek medical attention for internal injuries. Signs to watch for include abdominal swelling or pain, cramping, blood in your urine or stool, headache, stiff neck, lightheadedness, fainting, or dizziness. Any of these symptoms are a sign that there’s something wrong with your body after a car accident. Don’t hesitate to seek medical attention.

Broken Bones

Broken bones are a common car accident injury as the body braces itself for impact. It’s not uncommon for passengers to break their right foot as they help apply the brake when they feel the vehicles collide. You may break your wrists bracing against the steering wheel, or if you weren’t seated properly in the seat, you might break other bones, such as a foot resting on the dashboard. Typically you’ll know right away that you’ve broken a bone because of the intense pain, swelling, and bruising at the site.

If the break is severe enough, you may require surgery to install metal screws to aid in healing. In car accidents, the most common broken bones include feet, pelvic bones, collarbones, arms, and legs. You’ll need to see a medical professional to confirm the break and proceed with treatment to help it heal correctly.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue includes the muscles and tendons in your body that can be jerked around in the event of a collision. The impact of an accident can cause sprains and strains on these muscles and ligaments in your arms, legs, and back.

You may notice that it hurts to bear weight, you have a lump or knot at the site of the injury, pain, swelling, limited range of motion, joint instability, muscle spasms or cramping, and muscle weakness if you’ve experienced a soft tissue injury. Most soft tissue injuries are treated with rest and heat or ice, but some can require surgery.

Psychological Injuries

Some of the most common injuries that aren’t always considered when someone is involved in an automobile accident are emotional and psychological injuries. In severe crashes, these are often debilitating. If you’ve been injured in a car accident and your bodily injuries are severe, you may also suffer from severe psychological injuries from the effect those injuries have on your daily life. Victims may suffer from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder after a car accident.

Victims may be left with a paralyzing fear of stepping foot into a vehicle, nightmares disrupting their sleep that recount the events of the crash, or a sense of sadness over the loss of joy in activities they once cherished. These psychological and emotional injuries can affect the victim of a car accident as well as their family and friends. Mental health disorders and emotional anguish are common after car accidents.

Symptoms include trouble concentrating, shock, irritability, mood swings, fear, anxiety, confusion, or having guilt or shame. It may also present as disorientation, withdrawing from others, or feeling hopeless, sad, numb, or disconnected. If you experience any one of these signs after your involvement in a car accident, you’ll want to talk to your health care provider about how to heal your psychological injuries.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a car accident with injuries such as these, or many more, reach out to the experienced team at De Castroverde. Your injuries may qualify you for a personal injury claim so that you can recover some of the financial damages resulting from your injuries. We can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 702-996-3779 or via our secure online message system. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation.