Thousands of people are involved in car accidents annually [1]. While some crashes result in minimal to no injuries, some people have serious car accident injuries that impact their physical and emotional health as well as their financial stability. 

Understanding the possible types of car accident injuries will help you know your rights and better protect yourself if you sustain impact injuries in a car collision. 

Car Accident Injuries

Common Injuries in Car Accidents

Automobile accidents can cause a wide range of trauma, from facial injuries due to dashboard impact or flying debris to life-altering or disabling injuries. The severity often depends on several factors specific to each crash.

Head Injuries

Head injuries are common car accident injuries and can range from minor concussions to serious impairments. Some common head and brain injuries are: 

  • Concussions: Concussions can be minor or serious and cause headaches, confusion, and temporary loss of consciousness in some situations. 
  • Skull Fracture: Any direct trauma to the head can cause the skull to fracture. When this happens, you’ll need surgery. 
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Severe impacts to the head can cause long-term cognitive issues, physical disabilities, and personality changes [2]. 
  • Brain Contusions: When bruising occurs in brain tissue, it typically leads to swelling and can cause permanent cognitive damage. 

A head injury, especially a traumatic brain injury, may not show its full severity immediately and can worsen over time. Immediate medical attention is essential.

Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries

Another common car accident injury involves neck and back trauma from sudden impact forces. This injury can lead to:

  • Whiplash: The rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck caused by the impact can strain the ligaments and muscles. 
  • Cervical Spine Injuries: Damage to the upper spine, which can affect the person’s mobility and breathing. 
  • Spinal Cord Injury: Back injuries can cause partial to full paralysis. 
  • Herniated Discs: Damage to the discs between vertebrae, often resulting in chronic pain [3]. 

These are serious accident injuries that shouldn’t be taken lightly. They often require emergency medical treatment and extensive rehabilitation, and many victims face permanent disabilities or chronic pain. 

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries in an auto accident affect the victim’s ligaments, muscles, and tendons. These penetrating injuries can be: 

  • Tears: Complete or particle tears in the ligaments or muscles need to be surgically repaired. 
  • Strains: Tendon or muscle injuries that can cause limited mobility and pain. 
  • Sprains: Stretched or torn ligaments can cause pain. These typically happen in the neck and back in car accidents. 
  • Contusions: Deep bruising that can often be an indicator of underlying and serious injuries. 

Some soft tissue injuries can heal with proper treatment and time, but many need to be repaired surgically. Even with surgery, many of these injuries can cause chronic pain and reduced range of motion. 

Internal Injuries

Car accidents, especially those with significant impacts on other cars or objects like a steering wheel, can cause internal complications. These injuries sustained aren’t always apparent right away: 

  • Organ Damage: Trauma to any vital organs like the kidneys, liver, or spleen. 
  • Internal Bleeding: Blood vessel damage that requires immediate medical attention. 
  • Pneumothorax: This occurs when a lung collapses due to chest injuries [4]. 
  • Rib Fractures: Broken ribs can be very painful, and they have the potential to puncture the lungs or other internal organs. 

These car accident injuries can be life-threatening when left untreated or not treated immediately. That’s why you need to seek prompt medical help after a motor vehicle accident. 

Fractures and Broken Bones

Broken bones and fractures are incredibly common car accident injuries. Some are worse than others and can lead to long-term disability: 

  • Stress Fractures: These are small cracks in the bones and will worsen without proper care. 
  • Compound Fractures: These are broken bones that puncture through the skin. 
  • Multiple Fractures: When several broken bones occur, they often require very specific treatment to ensure they all heal properly.
  • Compression Fractures: These are crushed bones and typically happen in the spine in auto accidents. 

Every fracture or broken bone is different. Some might only require casts, while others might require surgery and extensive physical therapy. 

Psychological Injuries

Many victims of car accidents walk away with psychological injuries as well as physical ones. Common psychological injuries people involved in car accidents experience include: 

  • Depression 
  • Anxiety and panic attacks 
  • Sleep disturbances 
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Emotional trauma that affects relationships and daily activities 
  • Fear of driving or being in a vehicle 

These can present differently in everyone, but it’s very common for people to experience at least one psychological injury associated with their car accident. Victims often require a professional’s help to address and work through the issues. It’s not uncommon for these injuries to linger even after the physical injuries have healed. 

The Physical and Emotional Toll of Injuries

Car crash injuries are known to leave lasting impacts on those involved. These can be both physical and emotional impacts like: 

  • Strain on personal relationships 
  • Chronic physical pain
  • Reduced quality of life 
  • Financial stress because of lost income and medical expenses
  • Long-term disability or permanent impairment 
  • Emotional trauma that affects their mental health and relationships

The combined physical and emotional injuries can create significant challenges for the injured person and their family. 

Factors Affecting Injury Severity

Several factors determine how badly someone can be injured in vehicle accidents. The type of car accident, speed, impact forces, and pre-existing conditions all play a role. 

Type of Collision

Different types of collisions can cause various injuries. While any injury is possible in a car accident, these injuries occur most frequently:

  • Rollover Accidents: These typically cause serious injuries, including crush and internal injuries. 
  • Head-On Collisions: Those in a head-on collision will likely have chest injuries and head trauma, among other injuries. 
  • Side-Impact Collisions: These can lead to serious injuries in the pelvis, chest, and head. 
  • Rear-End Collisions: Those in a rear-end accident often experience whiplash and back and neck injuries the most. 

Speed and Impact Force

The severity of car accident injuries is generally determined by factors such as: 

  • Direction of impact forces 
  • Vehicle speed at the time of the impact 
  • Deceleration rate during the impact 
  • Mass and size of the cars and other vehicles involved 

Faster speeds usually indicate a greater impact force, which can cause severe injuries. Impacts at slower speeds might result in more minor injuries. 

Safety Features and Restraint Use

Vehicles have safety features for a reason. While they can’t stop accidents from happening, they can help reduce the risk of serious injuries and death: 

  • Child car seats help protect young passengers 
  • Airbags that deploy are essential for reducing the impact of the accident 
  • Advanced safety features like electronic stability control and blind-spot notification can help prevent accidents 
  • When seat belts are used, they save roughly 91.9% of lives [5]

Pre-Existing Conditions

Car accidents, including blunt force trauma and sudden impacts, can aggravate pre-existing medical conditions:

  • Chronic conditions affect recovery time and ability
  • Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, even in minor accidents
  • Previous injuries may become reactivated
  • Heart conditions can worsen from physical and emotional stress

Seeking Medical Attention After Car Accident Injuries

Even if you have no obvious injuries after an accident, seeking immediate medical treatment is essential for a number of reasons: 

  • Delayed treatment can complicate your recovery 
  • Some injuries might not be visible or apparent right away 
  • Medical documentation is critical when you’re seeking compensation from an insurance company 
  • Early treatment is proven to help improve recovery outcomes

Documenting Injuries and Treatment

Most people involved in car crashes will need medical treatment and often seek compensation for their injuries. If you plan on doing that, ensure you keep detailed records because the insurance company will use that information to decide on your claim. Some information you’ll want to keep records of include: 

  • Medical evaluations and diagnoses
  • Treatment plans 
  • Medications 
  • Impact on your daily life and work 
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation 
  • Counseling 
  • Medical expenses and bills 
  • Pictures of all visible injuries and medical scans of other internal injuries

The Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer

After motor vehicle accidents, consulting with a personal injury lawyer is essential to protect your rights and interests. An experienced car accident lawyer will guide you through the claims process and help you pursue fair compensation for your damages.

Investigating the Accident

A car accident victim has enough on their plate and doesn’t need to worry about investigating their accidents. An experienced personal injury attorney will handle this. They’ll investigate the vehicle accident by: 

  • Gathering and preserving any evidence from the accident scene
  • Reviewing police reports and witness statements
  • Interviewing witnesses 
  • Consulting accident reconstruction and other experts for their testimony 
  • Determining liability 
  • Identifying all the potential sources of compensation you should pursue

Even if you’re unsure about needing legal representation, consulting a car accident attorney can protect your rights and let you focus on recovery while they handle your case.

Calculating Damages

When pursuing compensation, it can be difficult to know what damages you should pursue and how you should quantify them. That’s why legal representation is key. Your attorney will help quantify all your losses from the car accident, including: 

  • Current and future medical expenses 
  • Lost wages 
  • Lost earning capacity 
  • Property damage 
  • Pain and suffering 
  • Emotional distress 
  • Long-term care needs 

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Insurance companies are a business, and they’ll do their best to low-ball your claim and use the information you provide against you. Having experienced legal representation in your corner ensures: 

  • A fair evaluation of your claim 
  • Protection of your rights
  • Maximum compensation based on your damages 
  • Strategic negotiation 
  • Prevention of unfair settlement tactics and offers

Our attorneys provide skilled negotiation against insurance companies, whether handling an injury case or, in cases of fatal accidents, a wrongful death claim.

Secure Expert Legal Counsel!

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help. We understand the physical, emotional, and financial challenges these accidents bring and are committed to securing fair compensation for your recovery. We protect you from insurance companies and work tirelessly to maximize your compensation. 

To speak with a Chicago-based car accident attorney, fill out our contact form or call (888)-424-5757.

References: [1] NSC, [2] Mayo, [3] Cleveland, [4] Medscape, [5] NHTSA