Common Car Accident Injuries

Unfortunately, car accidents are all-too common. Common car accident injuries go hand-in-hand with car accidents. With more and more cars on the roadways and more people engaging in multi-tasking behaviors or aggressive driving while behind the wheel, most of us will be involved in a car accident at some point.

According to Driver Knowledge, as many as six million car accidents occur each year. Of course, not all of these accidents will be serious—some will be nothing more than a parking lot bump-in. In 2018, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in the United States. Almost 10,000 of those fatalities were the result of excessive speed and another 10,511 were caused by impaired drivers.

It is important that the individual responsible for your Hurst car accident takes responsibility. His or her insurance company should pay for your damages, including damages to your vehicle, as well as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Having an experienced car accident attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm is extremely important if you are to obtain fair compensation for your injuries and other damages.

The Noteboom attorneys are highly experienced; we have been practicing since 1982. We use our skills to ensure people are always valued over the profits of an insurance company. We handle a limited number of cases at any given time; this allows us to take a thoughtful, team-based approach to each and every case. This approach puts us miles ahead of our competitors. Because of this, we openly tell our potential clients, “If you can find a better firm, hire them!”

The Noteboom firm deals primarily with serious and catastrophic injury cases throughout the state of Texas. We take only a relatively small number of cases each year because we believe this affords our clients the highest level of personal attention. We have a deep understanding of what to expect during a case involving serious losses. We always communicate with clients to ensure they understand the process and to answer any questions.

What are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?

Car accident injuries can range from very minor to fatal. An auto accident involves a great deal of force being applied rapidly when two vehicles collide. The direction of the force and the level of force determine how much damage your body will sustain. The following are the most common car accident injuries:

Neck and back injuries

Neck and back injuries are often seen following a car accident. Even when those involved are properly seat-belted in, and even when the vehicle has airbags, injuries can be grave. If you are involved in a car accident and you have pain that persists after a few days or you have a prior history of neck or back injuries, you should definitely speak to a medical professional. The following are the most common neck and back injuries seen following a car accident.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury to the neck that can cause symptoms that last for days, weeks, months, or even years. Whiplash occurs when your neck “snaps” forcibly forward, then backward—or vice versa. Whiplash is a poorly understood injury that involves the muscles, discs, nerves, and tendons in your neck. Symptoms of whiplash include pain in the neck (moderate to severe), stiffness in the neck, low back or shoulder pain, vertigo, pain or numbness in the hands or arms, extreme fatigue, insomnia, irritability or depression, concentration and memory problems, ringing in the ears, or blurry vision.

Soft tissue injury

Any injury that occurs when muscle ligaments or tendons are damaged from a sudden trauma can cause a soft tissue injury. These injuries cause pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of function, either temporarily or for a longer time. A person’s range of motion can also be affected by a soft tissue injury. Sprains, strains, and contusions, along with whiplash are typical soft tissue injuries. Minor soft tissue injuries are typically treated with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE method), along with no overexertion of the injured body part. More serious soft tissue injuries can require physical therapy and immobilization.

Herniated disc

When the force of an auto accident collision causes one of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) to push into the spinal canal, it can put pressure on the spinal cord (the bundle of nerves carrying messages from the brain to various parts of the body). Without prompt, proper treatment for a herniated disc, you could be left with chronic pain, limited range of motion, disability, and even paralysis if the spinal cord is sufficiently damaged. You can experience neck, back, arm, or leg pain from a herniated disc, as well as numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness at the site of the herniation.

Neck fracture

A neck fracture is a significant injury that can cause substantial and severe pain. You will probably know immediately if you have a neck fracture following a car accident. If you suspect such an injury do not move without medical assistance, as this could injure your spinal cord, causing paralysis. If you have a neck fracture, you may experience severe pain and tenderness at the site of the fracture, decreased mobility and range of motion in the head or neck, reduced muscle control of the neck muscles, swelling in the area, radiating pain in the head, neck, arms, or legs, and trouble swallowing or breathing. A neck fracture is definitely a medical emergency.

Joint injuries

Joint injuries are also soft tissue injuries. The physical connection between two bones is called the joint. The joints within our bodies contain a variety of fibrous connective tissues, including ligaments, that connect to bones or the tendons that connect muscles to bone or cartilage. Blunt force trauma sustained during an auto accident is a major contributing factor to joint injuries, particularly in the arms, legs, back, and pelvis area. Joint injuries can lead to aching, soreness, stiffness, inflammation, and pain in the form of a sharp, dull, stabbing, burning, or throbbing sensation.

Concussions and traumatic brain injuries

Following falls, car accidents are the second most common cause of concussions and traumatic brain injuries. When your head receives a violent blow or jolt during a car collision, a concussion or TBI can occur. These head injuries can occur when the head comes into contact with the steering wheel, window, or dashboard. In some cases, a loose object can become a projectile during the accident, striking you in the head. The trauma to your head will be different depending on the speed of the cars, and where your car is struck. Shards of glass or even bone fragments can enter the brain, resulting in devastating TBI injuries. While a mild concussion generally resolves fairly quickly, more serious concussions and TBI injuries can cause lifelong issues.

Broken bones

Any bone in the body can break during a car accident whenever the force exerted on the bone is stronger than the force it can bear. Since the body absorbs significant impact during a car collision, fractures and broken bones are common. A break can occur when the body collides with the dash or windshield, the limbs are bent or twisted in an abnormal way, a person is thrown from the car, or is thrown forward or backward inside the car with significant force. Common car accident fractures include breaks in the legs or femur, breaks in arms, wrists, clavicles, hips, ribs, face, or skull. Spine and neck fractures can also occur, usually from a rear-end or head-on collision.

Internal organ damage and internal bleeding

Serious car accidents can cause internal organ damage or internal bleeding. In some cases, since these injuries are not readily apparent, they may not be immediately treated. Internal bleeding can also occur in a less severe trauma or may be delayed by hours or days. Surgery may be required to stop the bleeding or to repair organ damage. Head trauma from a car accident can result in intracranial hemorrhage. Bleeding around the lungs is known as a hemothorax. Trauma to the abdomen can cause liver or spleen lacerations or perforation of other organs. Tears in the large blood vessels near the center of the body can cause aorta bleeding or bleeding to the superior and inferior vena cava. There can also be bleeding around the heart itself.

Knee injuries

When the knee or knees come into contact with the dash following a sudden external force (car collision), a variety of knee injuries can occur. Perhaps the most common is known as “dashboard knee,” and is a posterior cruciate ligament injury. Pain and swelling are the result. The consequences of a knee injury will vary, depending on the severity of the crash, as well as your individual physical condition and age. Some knee injuries can trigger long-term consequences. Common knee injuries resulting from a car accident include a torn meniscus, a knee fracture, a torn ACL, and an MCL tear. Knee injuries can be serious, with some taking weeks or months for a full recovery.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur after any traumatic event, including a car accident. The likelihood of PTSD following a car accident increases when there are high levels of emotion (such as fear or helplessness) during or immediately following the traumatic event (car accident), a history of prior trauma, a perceived life threat to self or others, a lack of social support following the accident, or disassociation during or immediately after the accident. PTSD can be a serious, long-term issue following a car accident.

Why Is It Vitally Important to Contact a Noteboom—The Law Firm Attorney Following Issues with Common Car Accident Injuries?

If you have suffered serious common car accident injuries, it is imperative that you contact an experienced car accident attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm. We help those left with serious or catastrophic injuries following the negligence of another driver. Our attorneys consistently bring a high level of knowledge and experience to each and every car accident case we handle. We routinely take these matters to trial, therefore have the resources to do so.

We employ our own on-staff investigator and have the necessary relationships with other auto accident experts. We have the ability to front these expert fees and court costs, which can go as high as a million dollars in some cases. If you have been injured in a Hurst car accident, do not risk your future on a law firm with less experience. Contact Noteboom—The Law Firm today.

Common Car Accident Injuries