Common Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
By Ross Cellino
Car accidents can expose drivers and passengers to trauma that can damage their bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Victims of car accidents can suffer severe injuries that can cause them to experience daily pain and suffering, reduced functionality of a body part, and worsened quality of life. Some common car accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), knee injuries, bone fractures, spinal cord injuries, whiplash, and internal injuries.
If you suffer an injury that reaches the qualifications of the serious injury threshold, you could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for damages. Car accident victims can experience economic and non-economic damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and loss of enjoyment of life, because of severe injuries caused by negligent parties.
An experienced car accident lawyer can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and provide legal counsel to put you in the best position to recover compensatory damages.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause head injuries when a victim receives blunt force trauma from a direct hit from a car or by striking a hard object inside the car. This trauma to the head can damage the brain and cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This type of injury ordinarily occurs when trauma from a car accident causes the brain to collide with the skull.
A TBI can cause significant symptoms that can majorly affect a car accident victim’s life, such as slurred speech, changes in behavior, mood swings, cognitive difficulties, vision changes, and severe headaches. It’s one of the most severe car accident injuries, as around 69,000 TBI-related deaths occurred in 2021.
The following are some types of traumatic brain injuries you could suffer during a car accident:
- Concussion
- Contusion
- Coup-contrecoup brain injury
- Diffuse anoxic brain injury
- Intracranial hematoma
- Skull fractures
Car Accidents Can Cause Spinal Cord Injuries
Impact to the back during a car accident can cause a spinal cord injury, which results from a blow that causes damage to the vertebrae. This type of injury can cause long-term negative effects, as a car accident victim’s strength, movement ability, and other bodily functions can change due to the effects of a spinal cord injury.
Some symptoms of a spinal cord injury include loss of movement, problems with bladder control, spasms, difficulty breathing, inability to stay balanced, back pain, and muscle weakness. Car accident victims that suffer spinal cord injuries can also experience temporary or permanent paralysis in multiple parts of the body, making physical functionality much more difficult than before the accident.
Whiplash is a Neck Injury Commonly Caused by Rear-End Car Accidents
During a car accident, the force of the collision will cause the victim’s body to move forward while their head shakes violently. These unnatural opposing movements can cause a whiplash injury, which causes damage to the discs, tendons, muscles, and nerves in the neck.
This type of neck injury primarily occurs during a rear-end car accident, as it can force the body forward as the head and neck whip back. A whiplash injury from a car accident can cause symptoms like pain in the neck, hand and arm numbness, lower back pain, blurry vision, ringing in the ears, and trouble concentrating.
Knee Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Car accident victims can suffer knee injuries, as the knee can receive a direct blow during the impact of a car collision. A collision to the side of the victim’s vehicle can cause direct impact on their knee.
They can also suffer a knee injury if the force of the collision causes the knee to collide with the dashboard. Knee injuries from car accidents can affect a person’s mobility, result in knee pain, and cause popping and crunching noises when attempting to straighten the knee.
The following are some knee injuries caused by car accidents:
- Meniscus tear
- Kneecap fracture
- Knee dislocation
- ACL tear
- MCL tear
- LCL tear
- PCL tear
- Tibial plateau fracture
Trauma from a Car Accident Can Cause Internal Injuries
Impact from a car accident can also cause internal injuries, which cause damage inside a person’s body. Internal injuries from a car accident can result from blunt force trauma crushing the blood vessels inside the body or penetrating trauma piercing the blood vessels, organs, or muscles. Organ damage from a car accident can cause the most significant harm, as people rely on their organs for primary bodily functions.
The following are some internal injuries caused by car accidents:
- Broken ribs
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Collapsed lung
- Ruptured spleen
Following a car accident, internal injuries may not be immediately apparent. They can have delayed symptoms that do not show up for hours or even days. For that reason, all car accident victims should go to the hospital to have a doctor use diagnostic imaging to check for internal injuries. They can use the results of these diagnostic tests to diagnose an internal injury and begin treating the injury before complications arise.
How Can a Lawyer Help You Recieve Compensation for Injuries Caused by Car Accidents?
If your car accident injury meets the serious injury threshold, you could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. You could file this claim to pursue compensation for car accident damages, including economic and non-economic damages.
Medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life are all car accident damages that can affect you monetarily, physically, and psychologically in the aftermath of a car accident.
Hiring a car accident lawyer can help as you attempt to recover fair compensatory damages. They will know what steps to take to help put you in a position to recover fair compensation for your car accident damages. A car accident lawyer can help by gathering evidence to prove your claim, explaining your state’s car accident laws, negotiating a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company, and representing you in court.
Contact Cellino Law for Help With Your Car Accident Claim
The car accident lawyers at Cellino Law have decades of experience helping car accident victims recover compensation for severe injuries. We understand the effect a severe physical injury can have, including physical pain, effects on your body’s functionality, and how it can lead to you having to take time off work.
Our experienced car accident lawyers want to work with you to craft a legal counsel plan you are comfortable with that can maximize your chances of recovering fair compensation for your damages. Contact Cellino Law today for a free consultation by calling us at 888-888-8888 or leaving a message on our online contact page.
Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino
Ross Cellino
As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.
