What are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?

Circumstances Surrounding Collision Injuries

The majority of reported accident-related injuries can be divided into two different categories of impact trauma and penetrating injuries.

When someone experiences impact trauma, they may have hit part of their body against a vehicle’s interior, such as someone’s head being thrown against the window or an airbag connecting with their face. Situations in which objects break the skin and enter the body fall under penetrating injuries. Broken glass from a windshield puncturing the skin is a common example of a penetration injury in high-impact car crashes.

Factors

There are a number of factors that affect the seriousness of your injuries after surviving an auto accident. They also play a role in determining the amount and method of medical care you will need to recover.

• Were airbags involved?
• Did vehicle occupants wear a seatbelt?
• Where was the point of impact?
• What positions were the occupants in at the time of the crash?
• How fast was the vehicle going at the moment of impact?

All these questions will need answers after you’ve suffered a motor vehicle collision to help better understand the extent of your injuries.

Auto accident victims may have symptoms of an injury right after a crash or experience a delay due to the shock and endorphins the body releases to combat trauma. No matter how well you may feel or how minimal you think the pain is after being in a wreck, our best car accident lawyer in Los Angeles says you should always get checked out by a physician as quickly as possible. Some injuries can lead to lifelong pain and suffering if not diagnosed early. This is especially true when it comes to healing from traumatic brain injury.

Soft Tissue Damage in an Accident

Trauma to the soft tissues of our body can cause a variety of symptoms, pain, and possibly permanent injury if not treated properly after a crash. Strain, sprain, and blunt force trauma to our muscles, tendons, and ligaments have the potential to debilitate you and may affect you in many different ways.

Whiplash is a well-known type of soft tissue damage that can create severe neck and back pain, along with some immobility due to inflammation.

Car Accident Abrasions and Lacerations

When cars collide, the catastrophic nature of the impact can shatter window glass and send other fragile items flying around the interior of the vehicle. This sudden force can cause further damage to your body in the form of cuts and scrapes to your delicate skin. Besides the windshield, everything from cell phones to sunglasses could break and penetrate your body during the course of the accident.

Traumatic Brain Injuries from a Crash

During the impact of a vehicle crash, your head may suddenly come into contact with part of the dashboard or airbag. Suddenly having your body thrown violently in one direction can result in an injury to your head. Your skull might fracture or your brain can experience a concussion. Without immediate care, you may risk permanent brain damage.

Painful Bruising and Broken Bones After a Crash

Another form of impact injuries, bruising and bone fractures are frequent consequences of a traumatic car accident. You may receive contusions across your shoulder and down your chest and torso from the hard impact of your seatbelt doing its job and keeping you safe. Failure to wear a seatbelt, or using one that isn’t working correctly, could result in broken ribs from hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.

Car Accident Trauma to Your Arms and Legs

Car seats usually keep you positioned in one spot without a lot of room to move which also causes impact-related muscle and ligament strains. Auto collisions have a whiplash effect on more than just our spines, but also our extremities. You may experience severe bruising or broken bones from your body being suddenly forced against the door or dash surrounding you.