What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?
Are you wondering what kind of car accident injuries can occur?
Each year, there are around 6 million accidents on American roads. This leaves about 3 million people injured, sometimes fatally so. Those injured in a car accident need to know when to seek medical treatment.
As such, it’s important that you learn about the types of injuries that occur as a result of car accidents. Below, we’ll share more information about the most common ones. Keep reading to learn more so you know when you need to get help!
Headaches
Car accident injuries sometimes first show up as headaches. These can come about for several different reasons.
First, people can experience headaches due to the stress of being in an accident. This type of headache might not have severe consequences and should go away with time.
But you shouldn’t ever write a headache off as non-dangerous after an accident. In fact, headaches can also serve as a sign of a head injury, such as a concussion. This type of injury occurs when your brain hits the side of your head. Usually, this happens when someone has hit their head.
If you experience a headache along with a loss of consciousness or memory, you should get tested for a concussion. To do this, you will need to see a medical provider. Head to the emergency room or your doctor’s office as soon as you can.
Before your concussion test, try to reduce the stress on your brain as much as possible. Don’t work, operate vehicles, or look at screens. Try not to sleep until you have seen a doctor.
In general, it’s best to see a doctor if you’re at all in doubt.
Neck and Shoulders
Neck and shoulder injuries usually come about because of the force an accident exerts on the body. Usually, when cars collide, inertia keeps your body moving forward even after your vehicle has stopped.
As a result, your neck and shoulders might move back and forth in an abrupt fashion when you get into an accident. This movement causes your neck and shoulder muscles to strain. Your muscles may stiffen or tear, resulting in pain.
You could also experience whiplash. In this case, your neck and shoulder pain may not surface right after the accident. Instead, it could show up 24 hours later.
In some cases, you might experience difficulty moving your neck. You should see your physician as soon as possible to treat these conditions.
A tight neck can also get treated with massage therapy. If massage is prescribed by a physician, the at-fault party’s insurance may have to pay for your treatment.
You might also need chiropractic treatment.
Injuries to Vital Organs
If you’re in a car accident and experience nausea as well as abdominal pain, you might have suffered injuries to vital organs. It’s important that you receive care for these injuries right away.
As soon as you notice yourself or someone suffering from these injuries, call 911. Describe your symptoms and request an ambulance.
If you notice any abdominal bruising, diarrhea, vomiting, or bloating in the days after the accident, get help. This could also indicate organ damage.
Broken Bones
The impact of a car accident can cause you to break bones. If you break a bone, you might notice a burst of pain right away. You may have difficulty moving the affected appendage and experience swelling or bruising.
If you break a rib, you might notice yourself having trouble sitting upright or moving. Paralyzation might indicate broken vertebrae or a spinal cord injury.
You should try to resist moving the fractured portion of your body. Call your doctor right away and request to be seen as soon as possible. They will set your broken bone and put you in a cast to facilitate a faster recovery.
Cuts and Scrapes
Cuts and scrapes are common in auto accidents. They occur when items in the vehicle shift around as the cars collide. If projectiles go through the window or glass breaks, passengers can also sustain cuts.
For the most part, these require only minor treatments. Yet, some deeper cuts might require stitches. You can get these done at the emergency room.
If someone begins gushing blood, grab a clean cloth and wrap it around the wound. Put pressure on it to staunch the flow and have someone call 911.
Pinched Nerves
If you notice tingling after the accident, you might have a pinched nerve. This occurs because the body gets jostled around upon impact, possibly putting pressure on your nerves.
To get this treated, go to your doctor. They will assess the issue and see whether they can pinpoint which nerve has been pinched.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD isn’t a physical injury, but many people suffer from it after an accident. The more severe the accident, the more likely someone is to experience PTSD.
Accident-related PTSD manifests in several different ways. You might notice yourself:
- Reliving the accident via intrusive thoughts. These thoughts sometimes get triggered by certain situations, such as driving past the location of the accident.
- Avoiding the situations that caused the accident. This can take the form of refusing to drive.
- A numbed emotional response.
- Increased physical responsiveness. For instance, you might have trouble sleeping or startle in an easier manner.
Get Help for Your Car Accident Injuries!
If you’ve experienced car accident injuries, you need to get professional care so you can return to your regular daily functioning.
That’s where we come in. Our providers have specialized in a range of medical care services and dedicated themselves to treating injuries. Whether you need a doctor, a chiropractor, or another professional, we can help!
Want to learn more about what we can do for you? Contact us today!
