Vehicle Accidents: Common Injuries

It has been reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that over 3 million people are injured annually in vehicle accidents across the United States. The types of injuries are largely based on the circumstances surrounding the accident, however, some injuries are more common than others. This article will discuss the most common type of injuries being caused in vehicle accidents.

In some circumstances injuries resulting from a car accident may very well resolve in a few days even without a person receiving medical treatment. However, this is not the case with more serious injuries, such as those that may result in causing permanent disability. If you are involved in a car accident then speak to Bakersfield auto accident lawyers with regards to availing the due compensation for your injuries.

Injury severity and type basically depends on a number of factors; such as:

• Whether or not the individual was wearing a seatbelt
• The position the individual’s vehicle was hit from; that is the side, front or rear end
• What was the positioning of the individual’s body; facing forward, sideways?
• The speed at which the accident occurred; was it a high speed accident or low speed one?
• The presence of airbags in the vehicle, and their positioning

Generally, there are two categories of injuries that result from car accidents; impact injuries and penetrating injuries. Impact injuries are when an individual’s body hits some part of the inside of the vehicle. For example, when you hit your elbow on the frame of the door. Penetrating injuries, on the other hand, are generally cuts and scrapes; this can be as a result of glass that has shattered or objects flying inside the car.

The most common injuries caused in a car accident are:

• Soft tissue injuries – these are injuries to the body’s connective tissue that is ligaments, tendons and muscles. A typical example of a soft tissue injury that is common in car accidents is whiplash [Whiplash – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic]. This type of injury is where the muscles and ligaments in the neck and upper back are stretched as a result of the jerking movement of the head and neck caused in an accident.
• Cuts and scrapes – it is not uncommon to have various items in our vehicles for our convenience such as glasses, cell phones, coffee mugs, dash cams, handbags, and even books. It is these things that cause cuts and scrapes in the event of an accident as these loose objects fly around in the car during the collision and may inflict injury to the vehicle occupants. An airbag could result in cuts and scrapes when it deploys.
• Head injuries – these may range from minor to serious. When a vehicle stops unexpectedly or changes direction occupants’ heads are subjected to sudden movements that are unnatural. These may result in muscle strains as well as a shaking of the brain. The domino effect of the accident could result in traumatic brain injury, concussions, brain bleeds, etc.
• Chest injuries – these often happen due to the positioning of the steering wheel and how much freedom of movement is available. An occupant’s body can be thrown forward against a seatbelt which can result in bruising
• Leg and arm injuries – are often from side impact