Every year, there are over 2 million traffic-related crashes in the United States. The injuries sustained as a result of these crashes range from mild to severe, from scratches and bruises to spinal cord injuries and internal organ damage.
The degree of damage you sustain in a car accident determines the compensation you can ask for in a personal injury claim. This is because the more severe your injury is, the higher the medical costs. If you’re injured in a car accident, you should hire a lawyer to help you file a personal injury claim.
Ranking car accident injuries
Car accident injuries are classified into 2 types: impact and penetration injuries.
Impact injuries are those that occur due to the force of impact from another object, like the car seat or dashboard.
Penetration injuries, on the other hand, involve cuts and lacerations due to impact with sharp objects like glass or metal.
It is difficult to rank some injuries as they can cause lifelong disabilities or have similar levels of pain. Nonetheless, here is a rough ranking of injuries based on severity:
Soft tissue injuries
Soft tissues are all tissues in the body that are not bones. This includes muscles, fat, and blood vessels. Often, the first thing that happens during a car accident is that the victim’s skin gets bruised or scraped during impact.
Victims can also have sprained muscles, ligaments, or other tissues due to a car accident. Soft tissue injuries can be mild and heal in a couple of days, or they can be severe and require hospitalization.
Arm and leg injuries
Victims can also suffer injuries, specifically to their arms or legs. This includes broken bones, dislocated joints, or lacerations that may even lead to amputation.
A dislocation is when a bone comes apart at a joint. Common dislocations that happen during accidents are shoulder and hip joint dislocations. During a car accident, victims use their hands to brace for impact. As the force is too great for their joints to take, it results in a dislocation.
The same can happen when cars roll over, go over rough terrain, or shake violently. This results in disjointed hips or other dislocations.
In some cases, the body of the car can be damaged, or another object can cut through the victim’s arms and legs, leading to severe lacerations or amputations of the limbs.
Facial injuries
As the face remains exposed during a car accident, it can also take on significant damage. If glass breaks over a victim’s face, it can lead to deep cuts.
If a victim was not wearing a seatbelt during an accident, they can even break their jaw on a car dash or other object.
Victims can also suffer damage to the eyes or ears due to punctures or blunt force trauma. This can even lead to blindness or hearing loss.
Spinal cord injuries
The tremendous force on the back during an accident can result in an injury to the spine. These injuries may immediately become apparent or may manifest after a period of time. Damages to the spinal cord result in paralysis, which can be partial or complete. Meaning the victim might lose control over a part of their body or their whole body.
Some spinal cord injuries can be healed through surgery, while others result in permanent disability. Victims who end up with permanent disabilities due to their injuries are eligible for disability compensation and can also ask for assistance in securing a job.
Concussions and broken ribs
Trauma to the head can result in concussions, which can be severe or mild. Depending on the severity, victims can recover in a matter of days or have to undergo surgery. Concussions can sometimes lead to changes in the cognitive function of victims.
Car accidents can also result in broken bones when there is blunt force trauma to the chest or abdomen of victims. These injuries can be very painful and take weeks to recover.
Conclusion
In a car accident, victims can suffer severe injuries, even with properly functioning safety equipment. These injuries can be life-altering – they can cost a ton of money to cure, cost the victims their jobs, and cause them a lot of undue pain and suffering.
However, there is assistance through the law, where victims can claim compensation for their medical bills and lost wages or jobs. Hiring a lawyer can help you obtain fair compensation for your injuries.
