The body is subject to a number of physical threats during a car accident. From the encasing of the vehicle itself to foreign objects, flying objects, or the sheer force of impact, the ways in which drivers or passengers get injured can be unpredictable.
Sometimes, even the things designed to keep us safe end up causing us injury, as in the case of an airbag explosion, burn, or other airbag injury.
In today’s article we look at just a few of the most common types of injuries after a car accident in New York.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are the most common types of injuries after a car accident. Whiplash is particularly common. It happens when the force of collision causes your head to rock back and forth in whip-like fashion.
Whiplash can happen in a flash, and you might not notice the symptoms right away. But as days and weeks go by, victims may begin to experience headaches, neck pain, reduced range of motion, and other symptoms.
While whiplash and other soft tissue injuries can be effectively treated by doctors in most cases, a significant percentage of auto accident victims still suffer from whiplash complications more than a year after the crash.
Head and Brain Injuries
Even though we tend to think of the human skull as thick and impenetrable, the head and brain are surprisingly vulnerable during collision. Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are commonplace. A head injury can lead to a wide range of medical problems, ranging from cognitive injury to physical disability. Urgent assessment by a doctor is critical after any blow to the head.
Note: in some cases, whiplash itself can cause a concussion, and the signs may not be obvious — another reason that car crash victims should always see a doctor after an accident, even if the accident seems “minor.”
Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries
Car accidents can put excessive stress and strain on the back, neck, and spine, leading to injuries that range from pulled muscles and torn ligaments to more serious problems, such as a herniated disc or a direct injury to the spinal cord itself.
Arm, Leg, and Knee Injuries
Other common types of injuries after a car accident involve injury to the limbs and extremities: hands, wrists, arms, legs, ankles, and feet. Bone breaks and fractures are among the most frequent injuries in these areas. Additionally, problems with the head, spine, or nervous system can produce symptoms or “referred pain” or restricted motion in the arms and legs.
Among the more complicated injuries that one might experience in a car accident are those involving the knees. We all tend to take our knees for granted. They are surprisingly anatomically complex. Knee injuries can cause severe pain and may make it difficult for you to continue on with your daily activities. Many knee injuries require surgery and/or physical therapy.
Other Broken Bones (Rib Cage and Chest Injuries, Etc.)
Your arms and legs aren’t the only bones at risk in a wreck. Chest injuries, too, rank among the most common types of injuries after a car accident — namely, fractured or broken ribs.
Rib injuries are especially worrisome because the rib cage protects the heart and other vital organs. Indeed, a shattered rib is capable of piercing the heart, lungs, and other organs.
Other broken bones can include the hip bone, tailbone, pelvic bone, collar bone (clavicle), jaw bone, and more.
Internal Organ Injuries
It’s important to realize that you cannot always feel an injury to your internal organs. Even without symptoms, you could be suffering from internal bleeding, bruising, or other complications that can lead to serious or life-threatening problems. Visiting a doctor for examination is essential.
Emotional Injuries
There is no such thing as physical pain without an emotional impact. The psychological effects of a car accident are real, and they deserve to be compensated alongside physical injuries. To that end, the law in New York recognizes a range of emotional injuries, which are not necessarily financial losses but which courts will nevertheless compensate with a financial judgment.
Common types of emotional injuries after a car accident include:
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety and fear
- Depression / change in personality
- PTSD
- Change in your ability to enjoy life in the way you used to
- Other emotional hardships inflicted by the accident
Catastrophic Injury
Some car accidents are so serious that the victim is never the same. These included catastrophic injuries on the order of:
- Paralysis
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Blindness
- Loss of senses
- Permanent disability
- Facial disfigurement
- Loss of limb
- Loss of use of bodily function
Talk to a Kingston Auto Accident Attorney: Free, Confidential Consultation
If you have suffered these or any other common types of injuries after a car accident in New York, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
Our office would like to help you demand the full and fair justice you deserve from the insurance company on the other side.
O’Connor and Partners is a Kingston auto accident law firm that fights hard to maximize compensation for the clients we represent.
We are proud to offer our legal services to individuals living throughout the State of New York, including: Kingston, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Ellenville, the Hudson Valley, New York City, and beyond.
If you choose to hire us after your consultation, we will not charge you a fee unless we get you money first.
If you can’t come to us, we will come to you. Just contact us online or call 845-303-8777 to talk with an experienced Kingston car accident attorney lawyer today.