Many people have been in an auto accident at one time or another. In fact, there are 6 million automobile collisions each year in the United States, alone. The severity of a car accident can range depending on factors like the type of car accident that occurred, whether an injury was sustained and what specific injuries were had. In this article, we’ll discuss common types of car accidents and associated injuries and what you should do if you find yourself injured in a car accident.
Why learn about common car accident injuries?
Learning about auto accidents and what injuries are most common helps you understand what to expect from a car crash and, more importantly, how to move forward from it. By mentally preparing for an accident that hasn’t happened yet, you can learn how to avoid it. Should a motor vehicle accident occur you are better prepared to seek the right medical attention and speak with car accident attorneys. For these reasons, it pays to know about the most common car accident injuries.
5 most common car accidents and how to avoid them
According to the website, DriverKnowledge.com, there are more than 90 car accident deaths every day in America. Understanding the most common car accidents and how to avoid them is a matter of life and death. Below are 5 common car accidents you should know about:
- One-car accident: When only one vehicle is involved in an accident, this is called a one-car or single-car accident. Single car accidents usually occur when a car loses control and veers off-road due to bad weather conditions, road debris or colliding with or avoiding animals and people. A one-car accident can result in a vehicle roll-over. To avoid this potentially life-threatening accident, always pay attention to the road, avoid using technology and handheld devices while driving and never drive under the influence of any substances that impair your driving, legal, medicinal or otherwise.
- Rear-end collision: Rear-end collisions are also called fender benders. These commonly occur in situations like bumper to bumper traffic or city driving where stop-and-go traffic patterns are a common occurrence. Avoiding a rear-end collision is similar to a one-car accident. Generally, in all car accident situations avoidance practices include paying attention to the road and putting away technology, a rear-end collision is no different. In addition to that basic guidance, rear-end collisions can be avoided by taking routes with fewer opportunities for stop-and-go traffic. In the cases of a rear-end collision, the driver can receive head injury if their head hits the steering wheel.
- Side-impact collision: A side-impact occurs when a crash includes a perpendicular collision. Imagine a situation in which a car going North or South, collides with a car going East or West. This is likely to create a situation that is sometimes commonly called a “t-bone.” To avoid this kind of accident, in addition to the standard guidance it’s important to follow traffic lights, stop signs and other cautionary signage or information.
- Head-on collision: When the front-end of a car collides with the front-end of another car, this is a head-on collision. Similar to side-impact collisions, these commonly occur when people don’t follow traffic signals, so it’s important to obey the rules of the road and observe signage and signals. Head injuries are a common occurrence when a crash is a head-on collision.
- Vehicle roll-over: Sometimes when a vehicle veers too sharply it can cause the automobile to roll over. In these instances, it’s called a vehicle roll-over. Vehicle roll-over is very serious and puts you at serious risk for injuries like back injuries, soft tissue injuries, concussions, broken bones and more. To avoid vehicle-roll over, reduce your likelihood of veering off the road by taking roads less traveled, avoiding areas that are likely to have animals running into the road and maintain your tire pressure, rotating tires and changing them as needed.
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Most common car accident injuries
Below are type of injuries that you may need to seek medical treatment for if you are in an automobile accident:
Whiplash
When the back of the neck experiences the sensation of rapid back-and-forth movement, a person may get whiplash as a result. Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when the muscles, ligaments and tendon in the neck crack in a whip-like fashion. A common cause of whiplash is rear-end collisions. While whiplash may get better over time, some experience more persistent issues like chronic neck pain.
Airbag injuries
The term “airbag injuries” includes a broad range of injuries including less significant problems like minor lacerations and bruising to larger, life-threatening ones, like spine injuries and traumatic brain injuries. An airbag injury is any injury caused by the impact of airbag deployment or otherwise malfunctioning airbags that come into physical contact with a driver or passenger causing harm and often resulting in head injuries.
Concussion
When the brain sustains minor injury due to any sort of head trauma, a concussion can occur. There’s no cure or remedy for clearing an internal injury like concussion. These types of injuries can occur with or without loss of consciousness and tend to resolve on their own.
Broken bones
Broken bones occur when an auto accident results in the fracture or shattering of bones in the body. Broken bones require immediate medical attention to ensure they are managed and triaged for optimal healing.
Seat belts and restraints
Seat belts and restraints, like a car seat harness, can cause injuries like lacerations, bruising and soft tissue injuries. These risks are reduced when restraints are used properly.
Traumatic brain injuries
When a crash causes your brain to sustain long-term damage, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has occurred. TBIs can be incredibly detrimental and impact various areas of brain function like memory, sensory processing, information processing and more. These injuries should be treated right away and treatment is persistent and must be maintained.
When to seek medical treatment?
If you feel pain or discomfort following an auto accident, you should seek immediate medical attention to ensure you don’t have serious injuries. Common areas of pain can include the head, neck, upper back, lower back, spine, soft tissue, face, hands and legs. Depending on pain location and severity it could indicate problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments and even broken bones. If you hit your head during a car accident it’s always a good idea to seek medical treatment to ensure you don’t have a concussion.
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Injured in a car accident: What now?
When you’ve been injured in a car accident follow these steps:
- Call 911 for immediate accident assistance and to have emergency service providers assess for life-threatening injuries
- Call your car accident lawyers at Florin|Roebig
- Document all physical injuries on the day of occurrence with a camera or smartphone
- Document injury progression over the course of healing
At the law firm of Florin Roebig, our personal injury lawyers do the work so you can focus on healing. Contact an attorney today who will take your claim to court and fight on the behalf of you or your loved one.
