Common Injuries from Car Accidents

Below is a list of common car accident injuries and how a personal injury lawyer can help those who have been hurt in an accident. If you have suffered injuries from a car accident, it is recommended to consult with a car accident attorney to explore your rights to compensation for damages.

Common Car Accident Injuries

The severity of car accident injuries depends on the force of impact and the type of vehicles that are involved in the crash. The most common injuries that result in the filing of personal injury cases include:

• Neck and Back Injuries
• Broken Bones
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries

Neck and Back Injuries

Many car accident victims sustain injuries to their neck and back. Herniated discs of the cervical or lumbar spine can be painful and require injections such as epidural blocks or surgery in some cases. This type of injury can cause pain that radiates down the arms or legs depending on the area of the spine that is injured. Whiplash is an injury that commonly occurs when a vehicle is hit from behind causing the head to snap forward and back. The force created during this contact causes injury to the soft tissue of the neck, which is acute and painful. Some people go on to experience pain beyond the acute phase that can last for years to come.

Broken Bones

Car accidents that occur at high rates of speed can leave victims with broken bones that may be simple or compound. Victims of car accidents can easily suffer broken bones in the feet, legs, hands, arms, ribs or vertebrae of the spine. While simple fractures are most often corrected with casting or bracing, compound fractures are more serious and typically require surgery to correct. Compound fractures are characterized by the propulsion of bone through the skin and are very serious injuries.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of serious injury or death among car accident victims. These injuries occur when the head strikes a hard object such as the window, steering wheel or the pavement after the force of impact. People who suffer traumatic brain injuries are often left with long term problems such as difficulty reasoning, memory problems, emotion control issues that make life difficult. Serious head injuries can cause victims to be debilitated in a way that may require long term home health care after hospital discharge.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries occur in automobile accidents less frequently. The severity of injury depends on where the spine was fractured and if it is an incomplete fracture or complete. If the fracture is complete, the spinal cord is no longer able to send signals to the body below the area of injury which results in paralysis. Incomplete fractures can leave victims with movement, but it may be diminished depending on the area of the spine that sustained injury.

Proving Liability in Car Accidents

Those who are hurt in car accidents due to the reckless act of another, may be able to file a lawsuit in civil court seeking compensation for expenses related to the accident and injuries. Being able to accomplish this goal hinges upon being able to prove the at fault driver caused the accident due to negligence on his part and that your injuries were due to his actions.

Related: Determining Liability and Negligence in a Car Accident Case

Some things that may point to negligence are driving while intoxicated, speeding, distracted driving and failure to obey traffic signs and signals. Often texting while driving is the cause of accidents as well. Proving liability in a car accident is not always an easy thing to do. Personal injury laws in Tampa, FL are complicated and often difficult to understand and it is best to have an experienced car accident lawyer working for you.