Whether you are involved in a fender bender or a high-speed collision, a significant number of car accidents in West Virginia result in injury. While a crash can result in a wide array of health issues, some are much more common than others due to the nature of automobile accidents.
Here are the six most common types of car accident injuries:
- Cuts and contusions. Minor bumps and bruises are the most common car accident injuries. Even slow-speed, minor crashes can leave you with a bruise from your seatbelt, a scrape from your deploying airbag, or a cut from broken glass.
- Head injuries. Head injuries can occur in any type of car accident and range from mild concussions in which the victim does not lose consciousness to traumatic brain injuries that can result in significant brain damage, coma, and death. Some head injuries are not diagnosed right away, even though they can be among the most devastating, long-lasting, and hardest to treat.
- Back and neck injuries. Disc and spinal cord injuries range from whiplash to permanent paralysis. In many cases, the force of the collision can cause everything from neck strain to broken bones to a severed spinal cord – and these injuries can lead to chronic back and neck problems, especially if they are not treated carefully after a wreck.
- Leg and foot injuries. Leg, knee, ankle, and foot injuries are common in crashes in which the vehicle is crushed into the occupant, such as when a car is struck by another vehicle or when a car rolls. These injuries include broken bones, ligament tears, and lacerations.
- Broken bones. When vehicles collide with an object at high speeds, the force can easily break bones. Common breaks during car accidents include broken noses, backs, ribs, arms, legs, wrists, and ankles. Serious fractures and multiple broken bones might mean significant amounts of missed work and physical therapy.
- Internal injuries. Blunt force trauma can do damage to our most precious organs, even though they are protected by the rib cage. Common internal injuries include abdominal bleeding, punctured organs, lacerated organs, and torn organs. Since those with internal injuries often go into shock, these serious and life-threatening injuries can sometimes be overlooked directly after the crash.
It is vital that car accident injury victims seek medical attention immediately after their crash, and that they follow through with the treatments and advice of their doctor. It is also important that injury victims report any injuries or symptoms that reveal themselves in the days and weeks after the accident, such as symptoms of a head injury.
The above injuries can result in a pile of medical bills and a long recovery, not to mention pain and suffering. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident that was caused by the negligence of someone else, speak to a West Virginia car accident lawyer about your case today.