According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are about 6 million car accidents every year in the United States. While some accidents are not that serious, others have led to severe injuries and, in the worst cases, death. Seeing how big that number is, it is important to know about the common types of injuries you can encounter in an accident. Here is a list of several of them.
Scrapes/Cuts
When you are in a car, any loose object is a potential threat in case of an accident. When you crash, loose items are likely to be thrown around inside the car. This can be your cell phone, sunglasses, tea mug, books, purses, and a GPS system mounted on the dash. If you are hit by any of these objects, they can either scrap or cut you or cause other injuries. Fortunately, about 80% of scrapes and cuts are not that serious, and most of them hardly require treatment. The more serious cases will require stitches at most. Airbags can also cause scrapes and cuts.
Concussions
Another common injury is a concussion. It occurs when you hit your head with impact on any part of your car. A concussion can lead to temporary memory loss, like not remembering what happened prior to the accident. You may also feel like your brain is not responding quickly to things like it often does. Most people do not take concussion seriously and assume that it is just a headache that will go away. However, any head injuries after an accident should not be ignored. Get immediate medical treatment and get cleared. This will help prevent headaches and restore your brain to a healthy state.
Broken Bones
The impact of an accident can cause any of your body parts to collide with a part of the car, putting some intense stress on your skeleton. This can happen in several ways. Your arm can get pinned between the door and your body, leading to a fracture. It could also be the way your safety belt holds you back, leading to rib fractures. Broken bones are common, and fortunately, in most cases, they are not life-threatening. Some fractures may need surgery, but after some time, you will fully recover. Small bones take about four weeks, and big bones can take about two months to heal.
Neck and Back Injuries
Considering that the human body is not designed to withstand heavy impact, neck and back injuries are pretty common after car accidents. After an accident, you may not feel the pain immediately till after a couple of days. If after a day or two you are still in pain or you have dealt with neck and back injuries, see an orthopedist immediately. While neck or back pain may not be permanent, it takes time to heal. Victims may also need physical therapy to get back to their healthy state.
Other common injuries you may experience include internal bleeding, whiplash, burns, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and brain injuries.
Why Immediate Medical Attention is Necessary
Most of the time, people assume that their injuries are minor and hence fail to get medical help. This can worsen an already bad situation. Go to the hospital so that the doctor can analyze the extent of the injury. You can then contact a car accident attorney and start working on getting compensation for the injuries suffered.
It is important for one to drive safely for both their sake and that of other people on the road. But sometimes, you can get into an accident due to another person’s recklessness. When this happens, get immediate medical care to allow for quick recovery.