- June 28, 2018
In a motor vehicle accident, there are several different ways an injury can occur. Even minor crashes can cause significant damage, harming the drivers, passengers, and any surrounding pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Depending on the type of car accident and the significance of the impact, the injured party might sustain only minor scrapes and bruises or they may need extensive surgeries and ongoing medical care. Sometimes car crashes result in broken bones, spinal injuries, head trauma, or other types of wounds.Understanding the extent of your injuries is crucial not just for your own personal health, but also for the sake of your personal injury case. If your crash was caused by another’s neglect or carelessness, you could have a personal injury case on your hands, which means you need to know the extent of the damage caused in your crash. Luckily, most car accident injuries can be broken down into a few general categories.
The following are some of the most common types of injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents.
1. Head Injuries
Head injuries, especially concussions, are among the most common types of injuries in any type of accident. In a collision, the driver might hit his head on the steering wheel, or a passenger might strike her head against the window. If the head suffers a physical blow, it could result in a concussion or it might be associated with a penetration injury. With a penetration injury, when something pierces the skull, severe bleeding and tissue damage will likely occur. If the head is whipped back and forth, shaking the brain, it could cause anything from a minor whiplash injury to brain tearing, internal bleeding, or severe bruising.
2. Spinal Injuries
Any trauma to the back or neck can result in spinal damage. Neck damage might also occur if the head suffers a massive blow or if the body is twisted and impacted. These injuries happen often in car accidents, usually due to a sudden or severe collision. Spinal injuries can be very serious and may lead to partial or full paralysis.
3. Chest Injuries
A hard impact to the chest can result in internal damage, broken ribs, or cardiac problems. Usually the driver is the one who suffers serious chest injuries when he or she is thrown against the steering wheel. Or, passengers might suffer chest injuries if they are thrown from the vehicle. While broken ribs usually heal with minimal help, other chest injuries may require major surgery, sometimes multiple surgeries, to repair all of the damaged areas.
4. Contusions
Hard impacts can lead to serious bruises, or contusions, sometimes damaging the brain or other internal organs. In some cases, this requires surgery to repair, in other cases it could result in painful damage to the limbs, joints, muscles, or other areas of the body.
5. Broken Bones
Broken bones are very common injuries found in car accident victims. The trauma of the crash can result in broken limbs, broken ribs, and even crushed joints. In some cases, the fractures or breaks may be so severe that they require surgery. Particularly damaging fractures may even cause further internal damage within the body, puncturing organs and causing other types of harm.
If you or someone you love was severely injured in a car crash, make sure you take immediate action to seek justice and compensation. Contact Goodman Acker P.C. today to get started on your Detroit personal injury case.