Approximately six million accidents take place on roads across America every year. These affect drivers, passengers, and pedestrians and lead to serious injuries or even deaths.
In fact, 2.35 million American people sustain car accident injuries each year. These injuries can affect your ability to work, your relationships, and your financial security. So it is important to get the proper support following an accident.
Not familiar with common automobile injuries and how they could affect your life? Then you’ve come to the right place! Read on to find out nine of the most common car accident injuries in America.
1. Whiplash
You have probably heard of whiplash even if you don’t know what it is, as this is a very common car accident injury.
Whiplash occurs when large amounts of strain are put on the ligaments, muscles, tendons, and soft tissue in your back head an neck. In a car crash, this happens when your body accelerates with a lot of speed and then stops suddenly.
Whiplash can be extremely painful and will limit how much movement you have in your head and neck. You may also experience numbness or dizziness as well as headaches and fatigue. In some cases, whiplash can also affect your vision.
2. Head Injuries
Getting a head injury during a car accident is extremely dangerous. Even if you feel fine it is important to get checked out properly after an accident.
A concussion is considered a mild brain injury that can affect a range of cognitive functions. This happens when your brain knocks against your skull in an accident. However, these injuries can be very debilitating and take a long time to recover from if they are severe.
Traumatic brain injuries are much more severe and can even prove fatal. These can occur even if you don’t hit your head during an accident.
3. Broken Ribs
Your ribs are extremely fragile and are exposed to a lot of strain during an accident so breaking them is a common car injury.
If you break a rib you will find yourself in a lot of pain and will need to restrict your movement while you recover. In some cases, broken ribs can become more dangerous if the bone splinters. When this happens you are also at risk of getting a punctured lung.
4. Herniated Discs
A lot of car crash injuries affect the head, neck, and spine and this network usually takes a big hit during a collision. A localized blow to your back could knock one of your spine’s vertebrae out of place if you’re unlucky. This is known as a herniated disc.
This will massively limit your mobility and recovery can take a long time. Because of this, you may have to take a long time off work if you have a herniated disc.
It is important to get these injuries checked out as soon as possible. If a herniated disc goes unnoticed it can put pressure on the spinal cord and cause nerve damage.
5. Scrapes and Cuts
Scrapes or cuts are some of the most obvious injuries from a car accident and are easy to spot.
A deep cut may require stitches in order for it to heal properly. More minor cuts may just require cleaning and bandaging.
However, it is vital that any scrapes or cuts are cleaned thoroughly after an accident. This will stop you from getting an infection.
6. Traumatic Knee Injuries
Traumatic knee injuries are a lot more common than you might think in car accidents as your knees can end up absorbing a lot of the force from the crash. They are particularly common for people who are sitting in the front seat of the car.
These injuries can include damage to the bones, cartilage, or ligaments in your knee. This could mean that you have to have surgery and you will definitely need to wear a knee brace. You may also have to use crutches to get around while you recover.
7. Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is a serious injury that you can sustain during a car accident and it can lead to severe complications if it goes untreated.
This happens when your body is hit by a large force and can affect any part of your body although it is common in your abdomen. When this happens, your body essentially starts bruising and bleeding inside.
If this goes on for too long there won’t be enough red blood cells in the rest of your body to keep you properly oxygenated.
8. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Not every injury that you suffer after a car accident will be visible. A crash, no matter how minor, is a traumatic event and this can leave you with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
This is a psychological disorder, which can cause flashbacks, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. It can have a huge impact on your well-being and on your personal relationships. So don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.
9. Psychological Injuries
PTSD isn’t the only psychological injury that you can suffer from after an accident.
You may also find yourself feeling stressed or guilty after an accident. This is especially common if you feel you were to blame or if someone was seriously injured during the crash.
Anxiety is another condition that people experience after a car accident. Your anxiety may be more general or it could be triggered by getting in your car or returning to the site of the crash. In either case, this can have a huge impact on your quality of life.
Get Compensation for Your Car Accident Injuries
Driving safely on the road can help you to avoid these common car accident injuries. However, if you have been involved in an accident then getting compensation could support you during your recovery.
In that case, get in touch to speak to one of our team today. We’re here to help https://www.paperwritings.com/.
Posted in: Car Accidents