If the insurer remains uncooperative, your lawyer can file a lawsuit to seek fair compensation.
Common car accident injuries include head and back injuries, soft tissue damage, limb injuries, organ damage, and emotional distress. Given the volume of vehicles on the road, encountering a car accident is likely at some point. These incidents can range from minor fender benders to major crashes, which could affect your life and finances.
Understanding the Most Common Injuries in Car Accidents
In a collision, injuries are generally categorized as either:
- Impact injuries: These occur when passengers hit the vehicle’s interior or are thrown from it, such as a head injury from hitting a window.
- Penetrating injuries: These happen when loose objects inside the car strike a passenger, like getting cut by shattered glass.
Both types can range from minor to severe. For instance, an impact injury might cause a sprained wrist or a traumatic brain injury, while a flying object could lead to minor cuts or deeper injuries.
Common car accident injuries in Illinois include:
Head and Back Injuries
Head and back injuries caused by car accidents can be challenging to recover from. This type of injury includes traumatic brain injuries (TBI), concussions, spinal cord injuries, neck and chest injuries, as well as fractured or bruised ribs, and whiplash.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when the brain is subjected to a sudden impact, commonly seen in events like car accidents. The impact of this injury can differ in severity, making it essential to obtain immediate medical care for effective recovery. A concussion is a type of TBI that requires medical evaluation, even if it is considered mild.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries happen when the spinal cord sustains damage, either directly or indirectly, due to an impact. Such injuries can lead to either complete or partial paralysis and should be regarded as serious.
Neck and Chest Injuries
In car accidents, neck and chest injuries are a common occurrence. The impact of getting thrown forward can cause bruises and other injuries due to the seatbelt or hitting the steering wheel. Chest injuries can be particularly severe and life-threatening. These accidents often result in fractured or bruised ribs, which may lead to additional complications.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a common injury caused by the neck jerking backward or forward. Although many people heal in a few weeks, some may take months or longer to recover. It can also occur due to a faulty airbag deployment.
Soft Tissue Injuries
A soft tissue injury refers to damage sustained by the body’s muscles, tendons, or ligaments, which are all soft tissues.
Sprains and Strains
A sprain occurs when a ligament that connects two bones at a joint, like the knee or elbow, is injured. In contrast, a strain involves damage to a muscle or the tendon that connects muscle to bone. While sprains and strains are usually not as severe as other injuries, they should still be treated with care and not dismissed.
Bruising
Bruising happens when blood vessels burst, causing blood to leak into surrounding tissues. While most bruises heal independently without needing treatment, more serious bruises can present health dangers. For example, significant chest injuries may lead to heart bruising, which can have long-term consequences.
Arm and Leg Injuries
Broken Bones
A car accident can generate enough force to cause bone fractures. As you brace yourself to shield against the impact, your wrists, arms, feet, and legs can suffer injuries that result in fractures. The extent of these injuries can vary from minor breaks that need a cast to more severe or compound fractures that might necessitate surgical intervention for repair.
Loss of Limb
In a crash, an arm, leg, finger, toe, or other limbs can be amputated or severely injured, necessitating surgical removal. Such injuries can lead to lasting disabilities for the victim.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can arise following a distressing experience, such as emotional trauma from a car accident. Strong negative reactions to reminders of the traumatic event mark it. PTSD is a serious health issue that can affect anyone at any time and may require medical treatment.
Diagnosing PTSD can be challenging since there are no physical symptoms, and symptoms may emerge long after the original incident. It’s important to understand that having PTSD does not indicate weakness or an inability to handle stress. If you notice any symptoms of PTSD, it is crucial to seek help as soon as possible.
How Car Accidents Cause Serious Physical Injuries
Car accidents can lead to physical injuries caused by the abrupt impact force. This can result in broken bones, damage to internal organs, head injuries, lacerations from shattered glass, whiplash from neck strains, crush injuries from vehicle deformation, and soft tissue damage such as sprains and strains. The extent of these injuries depends on the collision’s severity and the specific body parts involved. Car accidents can inflict serious injuries in various ways:
Impact Force
A collision’s force can lead to broken bones, compressed or punctured organs, and torn soft tissues, particularly in head-on collisions, which are among the most dangerous common types of car accidents. The full force of both vehicles impacts together, often resulting in severe damage or fatalities. For example, a head-on crash at 40mph can exert the same force as a stationary object getting struck by a vehicle at 80mph.
Head Trauma
Collisions can put victims at risk of head injuries from objects hitting their heads or the head striking parts of the vehicle. In high-impact crashes, the head isn’t secured effectively as the body is by a seatbelt. This can lead to severe injuries such as skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), resulting in cognitive impairment, speech difficulties, and motor function loss.
Broken Glass or Other Objects
Shattered glass from windows or any sharp items inside the vehicle can result in severe cuts and lacerations during a crash. These can also lead to penetrating injuries, harming internal organs.
Crush Injuries
In serious accidents, the vehicle structure can compress the body, resulting in crush injuries that may cause damage to internal organs and bone fractures.
Pedestrians
The NHTSA reports that 20% of those who are killed or injured in motor vehicle accidents are pedestrians and cyclists. Unlike vehicle occupants, pedestrians and cyclists lack the protection of a car during an accident, making them vulnerable to the full impact of a vehicle.
When to Contact a Car Accident Attorney for Your Injuries
You are not required in Illinois to hire a car accident injury attorney to seek compensation after a car accident. Many victims choose to do so to focus on their recovery while pursuing legal action. You can consult a car accident lawyer at any stage of the insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit process. However, it’s best to hire an attorney as soon as possible after an accident to ensure the best outcome.
While a lawyer can’t guarantee a specific outcome, they can help investigate the accident, gather evidence of negligence, and negotiate with insurers. It’s advisable to hire a lawyer in certain situations after a motor vehicle accident, including:
You Have Been Injured
If you’ve been involved in a car accident and sustained injuries, it’s crucial to consult an attorney. Even if your injuries seem minor or not serious, having legal guidance is essential.
Sometimes, injuries that seem mild at first can worsen over time. This is particularly true for conditions like back injuries and whiplash. For instance, early symptoms of a herniated disc may appear insignificant, but can lead to significant issues if not properly addressed.
A lawyer can help you understand whether you might need to include future medical expenses in your claim.
There Was a Fatality
You should contact a lawyer after a car accident if someone was killed. An attorney can guide you before you make any statements and help ensure that evidence is preserved. If a loved one has died, you’ll need to file a claim to recover damages from the insurance company or the at-fault driver.
The Other Driver’s Insurance Company Contacts You
Insurers often pay for injuries after a car accident. If you filed a claim with the other driver’s insurance, they will likely reach out for more information. Avoid admitting fault, discussing your medical treatment for car crash injuries, or sharing other crash details. Instead, have a lawyer handle communications with the insurer to ensure you receive a fair settlement and protection against downplaying your injuries.
Your Insurance Company Denies Your Claim
Consult an attorney if your insurance provider denies your claim or delays payment. They can advocate for your rights and negotiate a fair settlement. If the insurer remains uncooperative, your lawyer can file a lawsuit to seek fair compensation.
Contact us at Ankin Law for an attorney who can help you seek compensation after your car accident.
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