Car accidents are one of the most common causes of accidental and severe injuries in the country. When the dust settles after a crash, there could be any number of injuries of different types. Those injuries will contribute significantly to the value of any consequent car accident claims because the required treatments – and the costs of those treatments – will vary from injury to injury.
Some of the most common yet severe injuries suffered in car accidents are:
- Brain injuries: A brain injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a car accident due to the violent force of the collision. Drivers who are thrown against the windshield, steering wheel, side windows, or dashboard might strike their heads and bruise their brains. Rollover accidents can have an increased risk of brain injury, too. The consequences of a brain injury are life-changing and will require extensive medical care, including rehabilitative therapy in some cases.
- Spinal cord injuries: If the body is jolted violently enough in a crash, then it can cause the spine to twist, contort, or break. Severe spine fractures can severe or damage the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis. The higher the damage to the spinal cord, the more of the body that will be paralyzed. Cervical fractures – those that happen to the cervical spine in the neck – are the worst and can cause quadriplegia.
- Broken bones: Of course, a broken spine is not the only bone-related injury sufferable in a car accident. Fractures of all sorts and severities are possible. Hand and forearm breaks are common because people often try to brace themselves against the steering wheel, but the rigidity of their form makes a break more likely.
- Amputations: Particularly violent crashes, like those involving a semi-truck, can cause an amputation injury. An amputation occurs when any part of a limb is lost, including toes and fingers. Obviously, the more of a limb that is lost to an injury, the more it will affect the victim for the rest of their life.
- Soft tissue injuries: Injuries to nerves, tendons, ligaments, and muscles are soft tissue injuries. Even though they might not seem as severe as a bone or organ injury, they can cause chronic pain and lifelong debilitations depending on what was injured. One of the more common soft tissue injuries suffered by car accident victims is whiplash. When the neck is whipped back and forth – like what often happens in a rear-end collision – the muscles and nerves in the neck can be damaged, resulting in whiplash that is capable of causing months or years of pain and limited mobility.
- Burn injuries: A crash that causes one of the vehicles to burst into flames could cause the victims to suffer a third-degree burn. Trucks that are carrying hazardous substances like gasoline or industrial chemicals can be more prone to ignition after a crash. Burns can also be caused by the airbag if they occur while the driver or passenger is touching the airbag deployment point.
- Permanent disfigurements and scars: Severe injuries can leave permanent scars that can never fully heal. Scars located on highly visible areas like the face and neck can cause the victim to become self-conscious and deal with mental health difficulties, which should be factored into any damages paid to the injured party through an injury claim later.
If you’ve been severely injured in a car accident that was not your fault, then now is a good time to call on Charles G. Monnett III & Associates. We can help clients in North Carolina pursue full compensation after all sorts of wrecks. Contact us now.
