Car accidents are traumatic experiences that can shock people to their core. Accidents can range from small bumps to severe, catastrophic crashes. Understanding the most common serious injuries deriving from car accidents is one way of helping people drive more carefully and realize their impact.
All catastrophic injuries require immediate medical attention, even though some injuries are latent and their symptoms do not manifest right away. However, many do, including the ones below.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
TBIs happen when there is a sudden trauma to the brain. A car accident can result in different types of TBIs, depending on the part of the brain that is hit.
Symptoms of TBIs include:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Memory problems
- Changes in personality
- Obvious brain damage
- Mental health problems
While TBIs can also range from mild to severe, the brain is especially vulnerable, and any brain damage has the potential to cause long-term disability.
Spinal cord injuries
The spine is critical not only for walking but also for connecting our brains to our bodies. An injury to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation, and loss of function in limbs and many of these can be permanent, leading to long-term disabilities.
Severe burns
Burns can also range from mild to catastrophic but because vehicles carry gasoline, there is a high risk of a fire when cars collide and this may lead to people getting serious burns.
These burns can lead to disfigurement, loss of mobility and significant scarring. It can also lead to death, which is something that all five of these injuries share in common.
Burns can require extensive and expensive treatments like skin grafts and reconstructive surgery, which can also cause infections.
It is important to note that any surgical intervention can cause infections, so while surgeries might seem like a lifesaving choice, they do not come without their own risks.
Amputations
This is tough because losing a limb or part of it is a life-altering event that, if your brain remains intact, can cause people to accept this new reality, which is incredibly painful.
Amputations are physically and emotionally painful. The use of prosthetics, while helpful, is not the same as having one’s own body parts, and many people claim that even after amputations, they can feel the amputated part, as if it were there. These ghost pains are highly traumatic and they can last a lifetime.
Bone fractures
Bone fractures tend to heal over time but multiple bone fractures, especially in bones that are critical for everyday activities like walking or writing, can cause severe trauma.
Healing from these injuries often requires multiple surgeries over long periods of time and many people still feel pain after being treated, which can cause addiction to painkillers, which is another risk and a dangerous road to go down.
If you or someone you know suffers one of these injuries because of a car accident, it is essential to seek medical attention.
After addressing the most urgent concerns, it is critical to contact a personal injury attorney. You may be eligible for compensation for injuries, loss of wages, and, in some cases, pain and suffering.
Make sure you contact an attorney who will fight for you to get the most compensation possible, which is usually only possible when you have an attorney to represent you.
This is because personal injury attorneys understand the process and know exactly what to do. So, take the time to heal and let your attorneys handle the rest.