In the event of a car accident, an affected driver can leave the scene with severe injuries and even injuries that are unseen to the untrained eye. Here are a few of the most common ways you can get hurt in a crash, as well as what symptoms are likely to follow.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most common and debilitating injuries from car accidents. The biggest issue you can have with head injuries is you can look completely unscathed externally, but the brain is still hurt. Symptoms vary in severity based on the extent of the trauma, and they’re most common in victims of head-on collisions, though they can exist in any other kind of car accident. 

Neck Injuries

A typical injury from car accidents is whiplash, which results from the jarring change in direction or sudden movement that occurs when you are hit. The pain is usually instantly apparent and will require tests to understand the extent of the damage. 

Bone Fractures

When you get into a serious car accident, you’re lucky if you walk away without any broken bones. If you’re on the side of impact, you could face a fractured arm, leg, or ribs on the side closest to the door. While the seat belt will save your life, there is a risk of breaking your collarbone in the process—a far better alternative to the injuries you could sustain without using one. These injuries will need immediate medical attention to decipher what is broken, how severely they’re broken, and what measures are required to treat them, such as resetting bones or surgery. 

Spine Injuries

Injuries to the spinal cord can become incredibly debilitating, as fragments of bone, pieces of disc material, or ligaments undergo trauma that can interfere with nerve cell signals from our brain to our body that allow us to move. In less severe cases, swelling puts pressure on the spinal cord, causing pain, weakness, and mobility issues, while more serious cases can even lead to partial or complete paralysis.  

Potential Symptoms

Severe Pain 

The most apparent symptom of injury is how substantially a part of your body hurts. Look for bruising, swelling, bumps, or deformities on your body to indicate serious injuries, but even if none of these physical signs of trauma don’t exist, persistent pain can be enough to seek medical attention.

Mental Fog

A scrabbled brain can indicate head trauma after a car accident. Even if you think you’re okay, if you have trouble focusing and feel out of sorts, those are signs of a concussion. In more serious cases, you can have one or more of these additional symptoms: 

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Blurred vision 

Lack of Mobility

The loss of physical ability can have a significant impact on the survivor of a car accident. Injuries can range from general stiffness, numbness, or tingling, and progress to a restricted range of motion and trouble lifting objects. These symptoms can even graduate to sagging limbs or joints and paralysis in more dire cases. 

 

After a car accident, having an experienced personal injury attorney on your side can alleviate some of the stress of this traumatic time. The Law Offices of Daniel L. Crandall & Associates have been the ones to call for personal injury cases in Roanoke, VA, since 1979. This firm works all cases on a contingency basis, so all you have to worry about is your recovery while they fight to get the compensation you deserve. For more information and to schedule a free initial consultation, call (540) 342-2000 or visit them online.