In the past decades or so, getting from point A to point B using the car grew leaps and bounds. The car has become our second home, taking us from our origin to destination faster and safer than ever.
In 2017, there are over 272 million registered motor vehicles in the United States. We rely on our modern automobiles to help us venture out to the more decentralized world. With over 100 years since the first mass-production vehicle, we made leaps and bounds.
During this time, safety has become one of the most significant improvements in the car world. Seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, anti-lock braking systems, and the list goes on. They made our driving life much safer, but not completely safe.
Car accidents are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer. These send up to 2.3 million Americans to hospital emergency departments from resulting personal injury. There are many injuries that people sustain during these accidents. Here are the five most common traumatic injuries people sustain from them.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
One of the most common but overlooked “injuries” of car accidents is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A psychological affliction, PTSD makes people re-experience a terrifying event in their lives, causing severe distress.
PTSD affects up to around 7 to 8 percent of the population. While it can come from different sources, a car accident is one of the more common causes. Some of its symptoms include severe anxiety, intrusive memories, depression, and emotional reactions.
Unlike many personal injuries from car accidents, you don’t see it like a broken arm. It can last for a long time, hence why you need a personal injury attorney to handle what you deserve from such an accident.
Whiplash and Intracranial Injuries
Whiplash and intracranial injuries are some of the nastiest but most common forms of injuries. When you’re in a motor vehicle accident, the physics of sudden deceleration occurs. When the sudden stop happens, your unsecured head will continue at the original speed you were.
A sudden stop results in hyper-extension and flexion of the neck – something we call whiplash. In this whiplash, the brain also experiences sudden deceleration. As the brain shakes back and forth, it hits the skull, which may cause intracranial/ traumatic brain injury.
People who suffer from both whiplash and traumatic brain injuries can experience delayed symptoms. It can be anything from a simple headache to concussion and even cerebral edema.
Broken Rib-Cage
One of the more common personal injuries in car accidents are broken ribs. These can come from different sources, at most from hitting hard parts of your car. Hitting the wheel and even having the seatbelt protect you from shooting out can cause a cracked rib-cage.
Some of these can even come from a deployed airbag, with enough power similar to a punch. Broken ribs can puncture the lung, cause muscle tightness, soft-tissue damage and even result in breathing issues. It’s crucial to seek medical attention if this happens to you.
Limb Fractures and Facial Trauma
Breaks, fractures, and facial trauma can happen in any motor vehicle collision. Some parts of your body, however, are more vulnerable, including your arms and wrists. It happens as people use their arms to protect themselves from most of the impact.
Unlike you get a punctured artery, a fracture to your arms or legs is not life-threatening. Even then, you can expect severe inconvenience in your daily life due to immobility or incapacitation. Hip fractures can be debilitating to some, especially to older men and women.
Injuries in the face can happen once it collides with hard objects during the accident. The face can hit the glass, the steering wheel, broken visor, and even debris from the other vehicle. It can puncture your skin and disfigure your face.
At worst, you can experience eye damage or nose damage from the resulting debris. Broken jaws, broken noses, damaged cheekbones, and lacerations can be commonplace.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be one of the biggest issues you will experience in a car collision. Personal injury in the spinal area can lead to many long-term problems that can debilitate you. At the most minimum, a herniated disk can be a pain, but a spinal fracture is not something you want.
Herniation can happen when a disk goes out of place and pinches nerves. It can cause muscle spasms, motor issues, and severe back pain. Additional herniation can debilitate you too.
Find Respite from Common Physical Injuries in Car Accidents
If you or a loved one experienced a car, motor, or truck accident resulting in personal injury, be wary. Common traumatic injuries can be, at the very least, be annoying. At most, they can impact your quality of life.
When this is the problem, it’s best to contact experienced personal injury lawyers in Michigan. They know how to help you gain the right support. A veteran personal injury attorney can help you decide on what is the next step for you. Talk to The Clark Law Office and see how you can get the most out of your personal injuryclaim. Discuss your situation and consult with us today for free.
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