Car accidents happen more often than you think and can affect anyone. They’re unpredictable and hard to deal with, so most people find it difficult to recover after being involved in a vehicle crash.
Some injuries are more severe than others and can affect individuals physically and mentally. Physical damages are, of course, the most visible, but with the proper medical care, you can be cured. On the other hand, psychological ones are not apparent and can take weeks, even months, to be identified. In any case, it would be better to know what injuries and damages can occur due to a car accident. It’s crucial to be informed and prepared if you ever get involved in a vehicle collision (we hope no one experiences this, but, as we stated above, such events cannot be foreseen).
With this in mind, we compiled a useful list of some of the most common injuries after a car wreck:
Whiplash
The classic injury to the soft tissue of the neck after a rear-end collision is named whiplash. It’s one of the most common injuries someone can experience after being involved in a crash. Some people tend to overlook the whiplash’s symptoms (headaches, fatigue, vertigo, stiffness in the neck, and unusual neck pain), taking for granted that they will diminish in time. Well, that is not always valid. Also, whiplash can lead to permanent injury if left untreated. These strains to your ligaments and muscles cause discomfort in moving your neck and endanger your health. Therefore, you should call your doctor as soon as possible and receive proper treatment.
Fractures and Broken Bones
The severity of a bone break depends on the impact. During car accidents, your body can be subject to an extreme amount of force, which causes broken arms, legs, ankles, ribs, or wrists. Although they’re very painful, they’re less likely to have long-time effects and threaten your life.
Fractures are usually divided into simple and compound, and the simple ones usually refer to mild injuries. In such situations, bones break but don’t create open wounds, so you probably need a lot of rest to recover and, eventually, a cast. On the other hand, compound fractures may require surgery to fix the bone, and surgeons can hold the broken pieces together either by internal (plates, screws, wires, rods, etc.) or external fixation. Either way, you may require several months to rest, but there’s no need to get discouraged – you’ll likely return to your prior life.
Concussions
Just as whiplash and fractures, concussions happen very often during car accidents. A concussion is a type of brain injury that occurs after violently hitting your head on parts of the car. An out-of-nowhere collision can cause traumas that usually manifest through the loss of memory, concentration, and, in some cases, coordination. You can also lose consciousness, but this happens quite rarely. Symptoms associated with this brain injury include headaches or pressure in the head, balance problems, confusion, concentration issues, fogginess or haziness, and nausea. If you’re dealing with any of these signs, don’t hesitate to seek medical help. A healthcare professional can prescribe you a treatment plan depending on the severity of your symptoms. But you don’t need to worry. Although this impression of feeling lost is frustrating, you most probably regain your brain lucidity in a couple of weeks.
Limb Loss
The most horrific injuries after a car accident are, without any doubt, related to limb loss. No one will ever want to think about such a misfortune, but you need to be realistic and consider limb loss as a potential collision consequence. Whether it’s about fingers and toes or legs and arms, people who lose one (or several) limbs during car crashes are more than justified to feel angry and mourn for their previous life because they’ll never feel “whole” again. Even if it doesn’t restore their health, making themselves justice may give them a sense of relief and minimize the costs of amputation surgery and other treatments that might follow it, including physical therapy.
In such cases, specialists from How-To-Sue.co.uk recommend making a personal injury claim to receive compensation for your losses. They also give free legal advice and guidance throughout the entire legal journey.
Internal Bleeding
In high-speed collisions, it’s pretty common for the drivers to suffer a shock that causes them to bleed. Since the organs are so delicate, they’re most likely to suffer. Internal bleeding may not be visible at the beginning, but it requires immediate medical care and treatment; otherwise, it becomes a threat to your life. So, if your body is ever forced into an object during a car accident, it would be best to call an ambulance, even if you don’t have any pain.
Back and Spine Injuries
The impact of force against your body often causes back injuries. They’re very common, and you’re more likely to recover, but you should by no means overlook them. Spinal cord injuries, for example, can lead to chronic pain and other complications if left untreated. If we’re talking about severe spinal cord injury, it’s crucial to seek medical help because it can cause body paralysis. Mild damages of the spine are often reflected in hernia, which is also a life-changing health condition that doesn’t allow heavy lifting.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Not all injuries from car accidents are physical, and sometimes you can undergo emotional injuries that you cannot even know existed before. Such mental injury is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the most common effects the collision victims can experience. It manifests through an intense fear of driving, anxious thoughts, sleep issues, and sensibility to specific images or sounds.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should talk to your psychologist or therapist because they’re the only ones in the position to give you proper medication. And don’t forget – a little hope kills no one, so keep your head up, you can do it.
Final Thoughts
All the injuries mentioned above can be the results of a vehicle collision. Some are milder, some are more severe, but none shouldn’t be ignored. We hope our insights will help you understand how such damages are produced and, even if you cannot prevent an accident from happening, at least be a little prepared to deal with the potential injuries.
