What Types of Injuries Occur Most Often in Alabama Car Accidents?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an average of three million injuries are sustained on American roads every year. While no two injuries are exactly alike, some types of injuries are more common than others. According to the NHTSA, the following factors play a big role in the extent of an injury:

• Whether airbags deployed in the crash
• Whether the driver and passengers were wearing seat belts or restrained in a car seat for children
• The rate of speed when the crash occurred
• Whether the injured person was struck head-on, from the side, or from behind
• The body position of the injured person

Soft Tissue Injuries Are the Most Common

While damage to the body’s soft tissue is the most common type of car accident injury, it is often not visible and can be difficult to diagnose.  The soft tissue consists of connective tissue of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Whiplash is probably the most well-known type of soft tissue injury. This occurs when the connective tissues get stretched beyond their normal position due to the sudden impact of the crash.

Injuries to the Head and Brain

Closed head injuries are common in car accidents as well. These can range in severity from a mild concussion to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can have long-term or permanent implications such as paralysis, speech and learning difficulties, memory problems, and many others. The more the brain gets jostled inside the skull during the crash, the more severe and long term the consequences are likely to be.

Back and Neck Injuries

People who struggle with ongoing back pain often don’t develop symptoms right away. The jolt of the crash and the damage to underlying muscles, tendons, and ligaments can cause numerous types of back issues. The most common ones include:

• Disc injury
• Fracture
• Lumbar radiculopathy
• Lumbar spine injury
• Sprain
• Strain
• Thoracic spine injury

Cuts and Scrapes

Cuts and scrapes can be minor or could result in a major loss of blood that requires immediate medical attention. The driver or passengers may sustain cuts and scrapes by striking a window or the dashboard as well as having an object strike them. It’s common for people in a car accident to be injured by an object inside of the car that moves as a projectile when the vehicle strikes another vehicle or object. Things like cell phones, coffee mugs, and GPS systems can cause significant cuts and scrapes when they strike the body.

Injuries to the Arms and Legs

A sudden impact against a car can throw the arms and legs of the driver or passengers against a door or the dashboard. The result can range from anything to soreness for a few days to sprained or broken limbs to permanent paralysis of a limb or limbs. Bruises and scrapes are common injuries as well. Like other types of injuries resulting from a car accident, the pain and lasting damage may not be apparent right away.

Chest Injuries and Broken Ribs

This type of injury is most often inflicted on drivers, as a result of being trapped behind the steering wheel of the car. It allows for little freedom of movement after the vehicle has been struck. The seat belt or harness can cause significant bruising and internal injuries when the driver or passengers are thrown forward in a crash. Broken ribs can occur due to being thrown forward towards the car’s dashboard or seats. Being thrown from a car can cause all of the injuries described above as well.

What to Do if You Have Been Injured in a Car Accident

Your priority must always be to immediately seek medical attention for yourself and anyone else in your car. We recommend that you do so even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. You may also wish to seek legal help if you feel that another driver’s negligent behavior caused the accident and your subsequent injuries. A car accident can be life-changing, even after you have recovered from your injuries. It may cause you to miss work, rack up huge medical bills, and deal with chronic pain.

Attorney Chip Nix has decades of experience representing the interests of Alabama personal injury victims. Please contact the experienced and aggressive Alabama personal injury attorney at Chip Nix, Attorney at Law today to request a free and confidential review of your case. We can be reached at (334) 279-7770 or online through our website contact form.