Being involved in a road accident can result in injuries and other life-changing situations. After receiving medical attention, reach out to an experienced car accident lawyer to know your options. The attorney will explain your rights and recommend the next steps. Here are some injuries that a car accident attorney can help you to get compensation for:
Scrapes and Cuts
During a vehicle accident, loose items inside the vehicle may become projectiles and move around the car’s interior. The items can be books, purses, eyeglasses, coffee mugs, and cell phones. If the projectiles hit you, they can cause scrapes and cuts. Even airbags can cause scrapes and cuts when they deploy during a collision.
Even if the cuts are minor and need no treatment, you should still see a doctor. The doctor’s report can help you with an injury case.
Broken Bones
Vehicle collisions can cause the bones to fracture and break, although these injuries may not be immediately detectable. You may only experience pain and other problems later, after the adrenaline wears off. Ribs are one of the most common broken bones in a car accident because of the seatbelt or airbag impact.
Other types of bone fractures include:
- Displaced fracture — the bone fractures into multiple pieces and entirely moves
- Non-displaced fracture — the bone breaks but doesn’t move
- Closed fracture — the bone breaks underneath but the skin remains intact
- Open fracture — Bone breaks and exits through the skin
Bone fractures can happen anywhere in the body.
Brain Injuries
Some car injuries can lead to a concussion. A concussion is a severe brain injury that occurs when vigorous or violent motion causes the brain to move within the skull. The symptoms include headaches, confusion, nausea, and temporary memory loss. Concussion symptoms may not be noticeable immediately after an accident, so stay vigilant.
Neck Injuries
Car accidents often cause a flailing action between the neck and the head. This action causes some soft tissue damage in the neck, known as whiplash, which may or may not be painful at the time. If you don’t seek treatment quickly, the neck injury may continue to trouble you for weeks, months, or longer. Medical treatments may involve pain management and physical therapy.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Some vehicle accidents aren’t physical but rather mental and emotional. One of the emotional and mental injuries from a car accident is post-traumatic stress disorder. The condition involves emotional suffering and mental anguish that may interfere with your quality of life.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissues in your body include tendons, ligaments, and muscles. A vehicle accident can cause damage to these tissues. Tendons can break, while muscles can stretch and twist. In some cases, you may experience muscle sprains. Other soft tissue injuries are contusions, abrasions, avulsions, and lacerations.
Symptoms of soft tissue injuries include limited range of motion, bruising, swelling, and pain. You may also hear or feel something like a snap or pop in the injured area.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord and back injuries range from spinal fractures to slipped discs and back strains. The symptoms will depend on the location and severity of the injury. Typically, spinal cord and back injuries cause back pain, tingling, weakness in the legs, limited mobility in the spine, and loss of bowel control.
Spinal cord injuries happen when a rollover accident occurs, especially if the vehicle is moving at high speed. The injury can also happen when a truck or car hits a motorbike, bicycle, or pedestrian.
If you don’t get immediate medical attention, the injuries can cause severe back pain and irreversible loss of mobility. You may also experience respiration and blood circulation problems.
Chest Injuries
Chest injuries range from minor bruises to medium contusions to severe damage that may require surgery. Chest injuries might also lead to the collapse of the lungs and internal organs in the chest.
Typically, drivers are at a greater risk of getting chest injuries because of the limited space between the driver’s chest and the steering wheel. Seat belts and deployed airbags can also cause chest problems.
Work With a Car Accident LawyerIf you get involved in a car accident, seek immediate medical attention. Then, contact a car accident lawyer to explore your options. You might get compensation benefits if another party is responsible for the accident.