Common Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries can range from very minor scrapes and bruises that
fade in a matter of days to the death of the person involved in the accident. Due to the structural complexity of cars and recent safety measures instituted by car manufacturers, the exact nature of a person’s injuries can be extremely difficult to diagnose.
Injuries due to whiplash may not be evident for days or even weeks after the accident and brain contusions (bruising of the brain) from head trauma injuries may make one susceptible to serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia pugilisitica which might not develop for decades into the person’s life.
The below discussion provides some basic information on the types of injuries
that can result from a car accident. For a more comprehensive overview and to protect your legal rights, call The Law Offices of Jonathan B. Nelson, PC. Navigating
the medical and insurance arenas can be complicated. We can suggest ways
to achieve a proper diagnosis and treatment regimen and ensure that you obtain
appropriate compensation for your injuries.
Head Injuries
Car accidents can cause trauma to the head and brain in various ways and
in differing degrees. What all head and brain traumas have in common is the
potential for injuries that can permanently affect a persons life. These
types of injuries can include life threatening traumatic brain injury (TBI),
concussion, chronic physical pain, and others all of which can lead to the
permanent or temporary impairment or loss of mental faculties. The
long-term suffering stemming from car accident head injuries are not limited
to the person or persons involved in the accident. Family, friends, and other
loved ones may have their lives permanently changed as they find themselves
caretakers for the accident victim.
The long-term effects of a traumatic brain
injury can make familiar activities become inordinately difficult and unusually
burdensome. Daily or weekly therapy,
expensive medication, and nursing care may be needed to gain self-sufficiency
and tiresome amounts of mental effort may be required to do things that were
once second nature. Every aspect of a person’s daily life from basic interpersonal
relations, school, employment, and family life may become strained and difficult
to perform. The expenses alone may break a person’s
financial well-being and cause stress that one may never recover from.
Closed Head Injury
Closed head injuries occur when there is a non-penetrating injury to the
brain with no break in the skull. In car accidents, this can happen when
the head rapidly snaps back and forth in response to a car coming to a sudden
stop causing a shaking of the brain inside the bony skull resulting in bruising
and tearing of brain tissue and blood vessels. Since the head does not have
to hit anything for a closed head injury to occur (although closed head injuries
can happen, for example, when the head hits a windshield), there may be no
evidence of trauma to the naked eye. Hence,
advanced methods of diagnosis such as CT scans and MRIs may be required to
assess the extent of the injury.
A closed head injury can result in damage
to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, areas the control our speech
and
language abilities. The result can be speech impediments and difficulties
communicating that can last a lifetime. In addition, the crashing of the
brain with the skull
that occurs in car accidents can lead to cognitive and memory deficiencies
that may lead to major behavioral changes ranging from minor mood swings
to violent behavior that is completely out of character for the person
involved in the accident.
Concussion
Concussions are among some of the most common conditions that result from
car accidents. A concussion may result in a temporary loss of awareness or
consciousness and is usually caused by a blow to the head. In the case of a car accident, the blow to the head does not have to constitute impact with a part of the car. A concussion can happen from a major snapping of the head or rotation of the neck that overwhelms the brain’s natural cushioning system, the layer of cerebro spinal fluid that surrounds the brain. The
symptoms of a concussion can include the following:
- Amnesia
- Disorientation
- Headache
- Depression
-
Mood swings
Many of these symptoms will not be obvious following an accident.
In the event of a concussion, regular monitoring will be necessary for a
few days after the accident in case potentially lethal brain swelling occurs.
Serious Bodily Injury
Serious bodily injury is defined as a bodily injury that involves a substantial
risk of death, unconsciousness, extreme physical pain, protracted and obvious
disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily
member, organ, or mental faculty. In other words, it is any injury that leads
to disability of any physical capacity or the scarring/disfigurement of one’s
physical appearance.
Serious bodily injury can result in many different ways
from a car accident. Amputations ranging from the tip of a finger to the
total loss of a limb can result from extreme trauma to one of the appendages
of the
body. Lacerations can forever scar a person’s face or body. Regardless of how it occurs, serious bodily injury leads to long-term suffering and dire consequences for the financial, social, and physical well being of the injured person. Recovery is usually one of the most intense and arduous processes a person will ever have to endure and can include permanent prescription drug therapy, live in assisted nursing care, years of physical therapy, and a laundry list of other therapies that are too long to list here.
The expenses involved can be astronomical and insurance may be of limited
help. It
is absolutely imperative that you seek qualified legal counsel in cases where
serious bodily injury has occurred, such as that offered at The Law Offices
of Jonathan B. Nelson, PC.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are those injuries (excluding
fractures) that affect the joints and muscles of the limbs, neck and back. Common
soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains, dislocations, and bruising.
These injuries, especially whiplash, make up the largest category of car
accident injuries.
following a car accident, the full extent of a soft tissue
injury may
not be evident for days, weeks, or even years after the accident. It is important
to note that serious soft tissue injuries can result at even very low speed
crashes. A typical person who experiences a soft tissue injury will feel
persistent pain and observe inflammation in the area affected. Because the
pain may not
be initially intense, the injured person will often treat the injury with
pain medications and ice, treatments that can reduce pain and swelling but
also
may mask a more serious injury.
If you think you might have a soft tissue injury, and you are experiencing
any pain, inflammation, or lack of mobility, we recommend that you see your
general physician right away, even if you were previously treated and released
at an emergency room. Even
a seemingly innocuous soft tissue injury can lead to chronic pain later in
life and make one susceptible to more serious conditions that are less easily
treated. Getting the appropriate treatment is crucial to limiting the damage.
Because many soft tissue injuries do not show up in x-rays, an injured patient
will need the dedication of a doctor to devise a treatment program that will
be appropriate for you.
The initial goal of any treatment program is usually
to restore the injured body part to its normal range of motion, or in the
case of a contusion, to reduce swelling and bruising to benign levels.
Usually, treatment occurs in two phases, with the first being the use of
massage and
light therapy to foster self-healing in the body, and the second including
a more rigorous stretching, strength and aerobic training regimen. Surgery
may be needed to repair any torn or ruptured muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
