Traffic Accidents and Common Injuries
Each traffic accident case is unique, but they also share common similarities. For instance, the large amounts of blunt force involved in a car crash mean that the same types of injuries are likely to appear over and over again. Car accident victims should be aware of these different types of injuries so that they can understand what happened to them and the relative severity of the accident. Some of the most common injuries arising out of traffic accidents are soft tissue injuries, broken bones, back injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are some of the most common injuries suffered after a traffic accident. As the name suggests, these are injuries sustained to non-bony tissues such as muscle or connective tissues like ligaments. One type of soft tissue injury that occurs as a result of a traffic accident is whiplash. Whiplash is a painful medical condition that results from the sudden deceleration that occurs during an accident. That deceleration whips a person’s head around, stretching the connective tissue in their neck and causing a person serious, lasting pain.
Broken Bones
Another common type of injury that car accidents can cause are broken bones from the sudden impact of the crash. Serious broken bones can be easily diagnosed, especially in limbs because they will cause noticeable deformity and may even puncture the skin. However, neither of those will necessarily happen if the break is not as severe or if it does not happen in a person’s limb. Broken bones may also present simply via bruising, swelling and difficulty moving the affected area.
Back Injuries
A person’s back bears a large amount of the force involved in a car accident, and back injuries can vary widely in severity. Some injuries will be limited to the soft tissue, such as strains or sprains. These injuries generally result from over-extending a person’s back during the accident. While they can be painful, they are usually temporary. More serious injuries can occur if a person’s spinal cord is damaged in the crash. The spinal cord is a group of nerves running down a person’s back that transmits signals from the brain throughout the body. Spinal cord injuries can result in limited mobility or even paralysis depending on the specific damage.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
People in more serious accidents may also suffer injuries to their brain as a result of damage it suffers inside the skull. These injuries, known as traumatic brain injuries, can be quite severe and their symptoms can be very broad, depending on the area of the brain that was damaged. Victims may suffer physical side effects like nausea, vomiting, or seizures; mental side effects like memory loss or difficulty focusing; or emotional side effects such as mood swings, impulse control problems, or personality changes.
If you or one of your loved ones has been involved in a car accident, contact a West Palm Beach personal injury attorney today. Pike & Lustig, LLP is here to help ensure that you receive full and fair compensation from the people responsible for your injuries.
