Every year, millions of people across the country are injured in some form of vehicle collision. There are many different causes to these incidents, and physical harm can range from a few cuts and bruises all the way up to tragic deaths. Whether you’ve had an accident and want to understand your legal position better, or you’re simply curious, here are some of the most common injuries caused by car accidents…
Soft Tissue Injuries
A soft tissue injury is a pretty broad definition, and covers any damage to the body’s connective tissue – muscles, ligaments, tendons and so on. This is by far the most common kind of injury reported after car accidents, and sends a lot of people to specialized law firms such as www.juliejohnsonlaw.com . In fact, the most common type of injury, commonly known as whiplash, is a type of soft tissue injury, which affects the muscles and ligaments of the neck and upper back, stretching them in the sudden, jerking movements of the head and neck. These same forces and movements can also cause severe damage to the soft tissue covering the rest of the back.
Cuts and Scrapes
When we think of car collisions, a lot of us believe the most dangerous objects involved are the vehicles themselves. Yes, a couple of tons of steel and machinery moving at high speeds can certainly do a lot of damage. However, sometimes it’s things inside the car that cause the most physical harm. Immediately after a collision, any loose objects inside the car immediately become dangerous projectiles, and are flung haphazardly around the car’s interior. Cell phones, mugs, books, dash-cams and anything else that happens to be in the car can all be serious dangers in a car crash. If one hits you at speed, it can easily cause cuts and scrapes. In the majority of cases, these kinds of injuries are fairly minor, and don’t require any kind of medical attention and certainly no legal action. However, there have been cases where they result in a significant blood loss, and need stitches or other procedures.
Head Injuries
Unfortunately, head damage also makes up a large proportion of all reported car collision injuries, and can be extremely severe. If a car suddenly slams to a halt, or changes direction abruptly, it can often cause the heads of all the occupants to snap in a sudden, unnatural movement. In the best case scenarios, this just means a soft tissue strain in the neck and upper back. In worse cases, the head can also take serious damage. If a person’s skull hits a window, the steering wheel, or any other hard surface, it can cause severe scrapes or bruising, and even more severe lacerations. The worst-case scenario constitutes a closed head injury. Here, the fluid and tissue in the victim’s skull is damaged due to the sudden movement or impact to the head. The most severe kinds of closed head injury result in permanent brain damage, whereas others result in much more minor injuries like concussions.
