According to statistics, there are six million car accidents in the US every year, and around 20 million individuals are injured or disabled due to car accidents. Undeniably, being involved in a car accident can significantly change your life, especially if you’re injured.
Car accidents can cause severe injuries to almost any part of the body because a great deal of force occurs as two or more vehicles collide with each other. The stronger the force of the accident, the more serious your car accident injuries can be.
Neck and back injuries are probably the most common result of car accidents because your spine absorbs a substantial amount of pressure and force from a high-impact collision. The human body, particularly your spine, isn’t designed to sustain heavy impact, which is why neck and back injuries usually happen after car accidents. Your seat belt is designed to keep you tethered tightly to your seat, while your head can whip back and forth, or side to side when your vehicle suddenly decelerates and accelerates from the forces of the crash impact. That is why these injuries are sometimes referred to as “whiplash.”
The symptoms of neck and back injuries do not always manifest themselves immediately after the accident. And if it is the soft tissue that supports your spine that gets injured, a normal appearing x-ray is typical. In some cases, you will only feel symptoms days or weeks after the accident took place.
Air bags are designed to minimize the forces on our bodies, but in order to get them to quickly inflate, a chemical (called sodium azide) is ignited and then vented out of the bag. As the hot chemical is released, some people sustain burns – typically on their hands gripping the steering wheel.
Your vehicle may also catch fire after an accident, and if your skin comes in contact with any hot surfaces, or fluids, you may also suffer burns.
Depending on the severity of the injury, burns from a car accident might only require an ointment, such as Silvadene, or it may require skin grafting or major surgeries for treatment.
Car accidents are the leading cause of broken bones and fractures. This happens because your bones absorb a large amount of impact during a collision, and too much force is exerted on them.
Broken arms, ankles, ribs and wrists are common in many car accidents. You might even suffer from a broken pelvis that can cause severe discomfort when walking or moving your legs.
Broken bones and fractures caused by car accidents require treatment by an orthopedic surgeon who will need decide whether to perform surgery to stabilize the fracture, or if a cast is all that is needed.
Because of broken glass or impact with the windshield, dashboard, car seat, or any hard surface, some people also suffer from disfigurement from facial injuries after a car accident. While this injury can be treated with scar revision surgery by a plastic surgeon, you could possibly end up with a permanent scar.
The force of the car accident can damage your internal organs and cause them to bleed heavily. Internal bleeding also happens from seat belt injuries, collapsing body panels, or if any flying debris hits your body. These injuries are detected by a full trauma work-up, including abdominal ultrasound, CT scans, and MRI’s. Trauma specialists must work quickly to detect these injuries and dispense the necessary treatment quickly in order to prevent more serious complications, including death.
When you get in an accident and look up “car accident lawyer near me,” look no further than Arthur Law Firm Co., LPA, a law firm that has been in business for more than 50 years, representing victims of car accidents in Defiance, Toledo, Napoleon, and Wauseon.
Get what is due with the right legal representation. Call us now if you have just had a car accident!