In 2020, 38,824 people died in a motor vehicle crash. This cost the U.S. Department of Transportation roughly $242 billion. Reasons for this high death toll include (but are not limited to) alcohol, speeding, texting, and not wearing a seatbelt.
Many injuries occur during motor vehicle collisions too. Some will resolve themselves naturally while others may require medical treatment.
By knowing the most common car accident injuries, you’ll know how to identify them if you ever suffer from one. To learn the 10 most common car accident injuries, read our post below.
1. Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue is some of the most car accident injuries with both minor and major levels of severity. Soft tissue injuries include skin, muscle, tendon, or ligament to the body. The most prevalent injury of these soft tissue injuries is whiplash.
A victim may also suffer from lacerations, avulsions, abrasions, contusions, and muscle sprains. If you’ve been injured after a car accident, some soft tissue issues to watch out for are any pain, swelling, bruising, limited range of motion, and a “popping” or “snapping” sound.
2. Scrapes and Cuts
Long and narrow incisions in the skin can occur too. Objects inside the vehicle can become flying hazards during a car crash. Things like car parts, broken glass, or airbags can contribute to scrapes and cuts for the victims.
A scrape or cut could get infected so you’ll want to seek medical help. Some symptoms you’ll want to watch out for in this are having a fever, swelling 24-48 hrs post-crash, the scab has increased in size, pus draining from the wound, redness around the wound increased, etc.
3. Head Injuries
Some of the most fatal injuries will be trauma and damage to the head. Minor head injuries will be lacerations, bruises, or scrapes.
During a car accident, a victim may hit the windshield, side window, steering wheel, or another object or car part inside the car.
More severe head injuries include concussions, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and permanent brain injury.
Symptoms to watch out for with brain injuries include bleeding, confusion, changes in behavior, memory issues, difficulty speaking, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, headaches, etc.
4. Chest Injuries
If you’ve suffered a chest injury from a car accident, odds are it’ll require surgery. These kinds of injuries will range from minor bruises to contusions to something more serious such as a collapsed lung or broken ribs.
Due to the amount of space between the driver and the steering wheel, the driver will be at a higher risk than the passenger to suffer from chest injuries. A seatbelt or airbag could also be the culprit of a chest injury.
As one of the most common car accident injuries, the symptoms you should watch out for are the following: redness, coughing up blood, low blood pressure, numbness, shortness of breath, cracking sound in the chest, etc.
5. Arms and Legs
Experiencing a car accident may mean sudden changes of direction in your body. These involuntary movements can result in car accident injuries to the arms and legs. This can include fractures and broken bones.
Some symptoms you may suffer from are pain, bruising, swelling, deformities, and a snapping or popping sound. Contact an auto accident attorney right away after getting the treatment you need.
6. Back Injuries
Sometimes injuries may not heal completely after a car accident, especially injuries to your spine and back. One reason is that your back isn’t meant to endure such a heavy impact.
Some symptoms you may want to look out for are muscle spasms, tingling, paralysis, stiffness, tenderness, poor posture, etc.
7. Internal Injuries
Some car accident injuries will occur when the body is forced into an object or hit by flying debris. This will cause damage to internal organs and may require emergency medical treatment.
Some symptoms you’ll want to be aware of are light-headedness, headache, loss of consciousness, seizures, fainting, dizziness, abdominal pain, swelling, purple skin in the affected area, etc.
8. Burns
A vehicle may catch fire after a crash. If the victim’s skin comes in contact with chemicals, hot fluids, surfaces, or steam they have suffered from burns. Depending on the severity of the burn, the victim may need surgery and skin grafting.
9. Fractures and Broken Bones
Some of the most common car accident injuries include broken legs, ribs, arms, ankles, and wrists. Some people may even suffer from a broken pelvis.
The range of these injuries will vary. Some of these car accident injuries will require a cast while others may need surgery.
10. Neck Injuries and Whiplash
Getting a whiplash after a car accident is a common occurrence. The term whiplash is often used to describe injuries in the neck, especially around muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
You don’t have to be driving fast either to experience whiplash injuries. With or without a seatbelt, you can experience whiplash at speeds as low as 15 mph.
Be Aware of the Most Common Car Accident Injuries
As you can see, the body can suffer from a plethora of car accident injuries. By being aware of most car accident injuries, you’ll be better equipped if you ever suffer from one.
If you do ever experience a car accident, one of the first things you’ll want to do is contact a car accident lawyer. You will be in good hands with our law firm. Do not hesitate to contact Empire Accident Lawyers.
A Monero Valley car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for your car accident injuries.
