Most Common Injuries Suffered from Car Accidents

The types and locations of injuries following a car accident are nearly limitless, but as personal injury attorneys in Southern California, some types of injuries are more prevalent than others. For instance, soft-tissue injuries like whiplash, caused by the head moving in one direction and then being jolted in the other, are extremely common in rear-end collisions. Other types of accidents can result in injuries to the middle and lower parts of the body, affecting joints, soft tissue, and major organs. Recovery is different in each situation. Some accident victims will require surgery and long-term physical therapy visits, while others only require taking a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medication. 

Head and Neck Injuries

These are some of the most common car accident injuries. As was previously mentioned, whiplash is caused by the sudden movement of the neck backward and forward. This strains the neck muscles, with symptoms like neck pain and stiffness, headaches, pain or numbness in arms or hands, and shoulder pain showing within the first 24 hours. Psychological symptoms can include the inability to concentrate or sleep and the feeling of being in a mental fog.

Brain and Spinal Injuries

Concussions are very common car accident injuries that affect the brain and cause it to swell. The bones of the spine can become fractured in an accident and the spinal cord can even break.

Cuts and Lacerations

Glass from the shattering windshield, and objects that bend or break, thus exposing sharp edges, are likely to cause surface scrapes, cuts, or even deep lacerations. Plastics and soft metals in a car’s interior can be break off during the impact and turn into flying shrapnel.

Internal Bleeding

This is not only one of the most common car accident injuries, but one of the most dangerous and hardest to detect. Some people do not notice that the impact of their body against the seatbelt has caused internal bleeding, and several hours find themselves in pain and require medical attention. This is why it is important to get checked out by medical personnel at the scene of the accident, as this life-threatening condition may be caught sooner.

Leg and Knee Injuries

These kinds of injuries can occur due to the sudden impact of the legs crashing into the dashboard. When a car is hit with strong enough impact from the front, everything under the hood gets pushed back into the passengers seated up front. This can cause severe injuries to the bones and soft tissues around the foot, ankle, leg, and up into the hip, such as fractures. 

Medical Bills 

If you’re suffering from one of these common car accident injuries, then you are probably accruing very high medical bills for your treatment. A personal injury attorney can help you get those bills covered by the insurance company, and fight for you to recover lost wages from being unable to work due to an injury. The attorneys at the King Law Firm understand that talking about one’s car accident is very difficult, and dealing with the insurance company can incite anxiety in people. Let us take care of talking to the insurance companies for you, so you can focus on the most important thing: your health.