Neck injuries are common in car crashes. Upward of 27,000 automobile accidents happen each and every day on America’s roadways, according to statistics from the National Safety Council. These crashes leave some 2.5 million drivers and passengers injured or disabled each year. Among the most common injuries resulting from car crashes are:
-
- Traumatic brain injuries: Also known as TBI, traumatic brain injury is among the most debilitating results of auto accidents. It occurs when the head suffers a violent hit and can involve bruising, bleeding or swelling of the brain. Auto accidents are the third leading cause of TBI and the second leading cause of TBI-related deaths in the US.
-
- Neck injuries: These can range from whiplash and neck strain to more serious issues like cervical dislocation and disk injury.
-
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord damage involves displaced bone fragments, disc material or ligaments bruising or tearing into spinal cord tissue, all of which can damage the nerve cells that carry signals between the brain and other body parts. These types of injuries often result in permanent loss of feeling and certain body functions.
-
- Lower Back Injuries: Sprains, strains, herniated discs and fractured vertebrae all are lower back injuries that can cause chronic pain and limited mobility.
-
- Chest injuries: Though greatly reduced by the standard placement of airbags in dashboards and steering wheels, chest injuries remain common. They include broken ribs and sternum (breast bone) and punctured lungs.
-
- Diaphragm rupture: A diaphragm rupture is a tear of the muscle across the bottom of the rib cage that happens as a result of blunt or penetrating trauma to the trunk or lower chest. The diaphragm is crucial to respiration and a rupture is almost always associated with herniation of abdominal organs into the chest cavity. This can interfere with breathing and cut off blood supply to organs.
-
- Facial injuries: Trauma to the face in caused by collision with the steering wheel, dashboard, airbag, windshield, side window, car seats or shattered glass. Results can range from mild scrapes and bruises to fractures and deeper lacerations to serious jaw, dental and eye injuries.
-
- Internal injuries: Your kidneys, bowels, spleen, liver, lungs and heart all are at risk of serious damage in a car accident, and many are life-threatening.
-
- Psychological injuries: Not all lasting damage can be seen by the eye or by diagnostic imaging machines. Psychological injuries including emotional distress, persistent anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have enduring effects on virtually every facet of a victim’s life.
The most heartbreaking news, however, is that human error accounts for over 90 percent of these accidents, meaning that the overwhelming majority of them are fully preventable. If you are injured in a car crash caused by someone else’s negligence, get medical treatment immediately. Then, dial 800-251-1111 to speak with an auto accident attorney with Jacksonville’s Harrell and Harrell to help assure you get the financial compensation you deserve.