11 Most Common Car Injuries Explained
Car accidents can cause serious injuries. Below, we list 11 of the most common car injuries based on the 2022 car crash statistics.
Spinal Cord Injuries and/or Paralysis
The impact from a crash can cause long-term disabilities stemming from spinal cord injuries. These injuries can also cause either partial or total paralysis before and in the area where the injury was sustained. You might have also seen the terms quadriplegia, tetraplegia, and paraplegia used to describe these injuries.
Burns
If a vehicle caught on fire during the accident, or skin comes into contact with leaking hot fluid, chemicals, or steam, burns are a likely injury. The most severe burns will often require skin grafts and surgery.
Back Injuries
The human body was not designed to weather heavy impact without harm. Back injuries are the common result of such an impact. The tricky thing about them is that they can show up after an accident, and the disabilities and pain resulting from them can be both long-lasting and severe.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain sustains damage from blows or piercing injuries. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries.
Internal Injuries
Damage to internal organs can occur when a crash either slams a body into an object, or a body is hit by debris. The internal bleeding resulting from such an injury will require immediate emergency medical treatment.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Broken ribs, ankles, arms, ribs, legs, and wrists – these are all common results of a car accident. In some cases, a broken pelvis is also a result. The severity of these broken bones and fractures can range widely. Some may only require a cast, while others may require surgery.
Loss of Limb
Severed arms, legs, and extremities can result from a car crash. Sometimes these parts of the body might be damaged so severely that surgical amputation is required. This can lead to permanent disabilities.
Disfigurements
Broken glass or impact with any part of the car can result in facial injuries. These disfigurements will often require surgery and may leave the victim with a permanent scar.
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Whiplash refers to injuries that occur in the muscle, ligament, and tendon injuries, which can include the neck pain that results from injury to the neck. Even traveling at a speed as low as 15 mph can cause whiplash, and one must also be wary of cervical dislocation or severe disk injury.
Lower Body Injuries
If your knee smashes into any part of the vehicle during an accident, this will likely result in a knee injury. The damage may be as light as a bruise, or as severe as multiple fractures. If your knee is twisted abruptly, it can also result in tearing to the knee cartilage. Foot and ankle injuries are also common during car accidents and often arise in the form of sprains, fractures, and – in the most serious cases – a severing of the extremities.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
We have listed a variety of physical injuries that could result from a car accident, but one could also leave long-lasting effects on your mental health. If you require legal help after a car accident, contact a California auto accident lawyer today.