Being in a car accident is never pleasant. A car crash can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle but what’s worse, such an event can also cause damage to your body or health, long term. Most commonly, car accidents result in bruises, whiplashes, neck and back injuries (including sprains), concussions, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and internal bleeds.
That in mind, let’s take a closer look at these common car accident injuries and the damage they can cause after a collision:
Most Common Vehicle Accident Injuries
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration of the body. It often results in neck pain and stiffness.
If you experience any sort of pain or discomfort in your neck and back after a car accident, it’s likely that you have sustained it. Unfortunatly, whiplash can be painful and takes several weeks to recover, but luckily it rarely results in permanent injury!
Neck and Back Pain
A car accident can cause a lot of pain in your neck and back. This is because you may have been thrown forward or backward into something hard like a steering wheel. Your head may also be pressed against the seat belt or another part of the vehicle causing bruising to the scalp. If this happens, it’s important that you see a car accident doctor right away so they can check for bleeding on the inside of your skull.
Concussion
A concussion occurs when the brain moves rapidly within the skull and, unfortunately, this is one of the most common car accident injuries! It can happen if you hit your head on the dashboard or windshield of a moving car. The symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. You should go to the hospital immediately after a car accident to get checked out by a neurologist.
Sprained Ankle/Knee
When you’re involved in a car accident, you may twist your ankle or knee. This injury requires immediate medical attention. See a doctor as soon as possible!
Broken Bones
A car accident can break your leg, arm, wrist or hand. These types of fractures usually require surgery! This is because, although broken bones are very common car accident injuries and are rarely permanent or life-threatening, some fractures may need serious medical attention in order to help your bones heal properly. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may require some time to rest and recover and, if treated correctly and in a timely manner, you should get back to normal quite soon.
Internal Bleeding
An injured person may bleed internally due to trauma from a car accident. This type of injury needs immediate medical care! This is because our internal organs are very delicate and a car crash can easily damage them and cause them to bleed. These serious injuries are very common in high-speed collisions and it’s crucial that they are treated right away to keep them from threatening your life and causing further damage to your health later on.
Bruises
Bruises occur when blood vessels underneath the skin rupture. They can appear anywhere on the body but are more likely to show up around the face, arms and legs. Unfortunately, even the most minor of car accidents can cause bruising. You can either get slammed you into your seatbelt or hit hit your arms or legs during the collision. Although these are very common car accident injuries, bruises are rarely serious and will likely heal within a few days.
Concussions
During a car accident, you may hit your head on parts of your car. This may cause a concussion and, among the effects of suffering from one, there’s short time memory loss or even feeling like your brain is just not working as quickly as it usually does. This requires immediate treatment. For any kind of head injury, it’s crucial that you seek immediate medical care. Here’s how to find the right car accident injury doctor for you! This will help alleviate the headaches you will likely suffer after a car crash and it will highly increase the chances of restoring your brain to a healthy state.
Traumatic brain injuries
Unlike a concussion, a traumatic brain injury can have life-altering effects. Traumatic brain injuries may change the way your brain functions and handles information. While recovery from a traumatic brain injury is possible, depending on the type and severity of the damage, you may need round the clock medical attention for a long period of time.
To avoid suffering from these common car accident injuries, make sure to wear your seat belt at all times and be extra careful while driving. Should you get into a car crash, call an ambulance right away!
While there are many things you can do to help prevent a car accident, it’s not always possible to avoid the unexpected. Contact our accident clinic in New York if you get into a car crash and get the immediate help you deserve!
