What Are the Biggest Personal Injury Risks in Car Accidents?

What Are the Biggest Personal Injury Risks in Car Accidents?

There are millions of car accidents each year in the U.S., many of which result in serious injuries such as trauma to the head, back, and chest. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a collision, you need the help of an experienced car accident attorney in San Jose. Your car accident lawyer can help you recover just compensation for your physical and psychiatric injuries.

Head Trauma

One of the most common types of serious injuries among car crash victims is head trauma. Even if you’re wearing a seat belt, the force of the impact could cause your head to strike the dashboard, window, or steering wheel. Or, flying debris could penetrate your skull. If you’ve sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a collision, your car accident lawyer might seek compensatory damages for your long-term care. In severe cases, head trauma can result in permanent impairment, such as paralysis, cognitive deficits, executive function problems, and communication impairment. TBI survivors may also have severe behavioral, emotional, and sensory problems.

Back Injuries

Back injuries are another serious medical problem frequently caused by car collisions. Victims may suffer a range of different back injuries, including problems as minor as strained muscles to conditions as major as spinal cord damage. Spinal cord damage may result in lifelong paralysis, which means that the car crash victim will require intensive, 24/7 medical care for his or her lifetime. For these types of injuries, a personal injury attorney may seek compensation for ongoing medical expenses, the loss of future wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Chest Trauma

Car crashes can inflict serious internal injuries resulting from blunt force trauma, such as trauma to the chest. Car accident victims may suffer from broken ribs, which is a very painful condition that may cause problems with simple activities such as physical movement and respiration. A car crash can result in collapsed lungs or pneumothorax. A collapsed lung occurs when the air rushes out of the lung and fills the space between the chest wall and the lung. This causes the lung to be unable to expand much when the patient takes a breath. Other types of chest injuries can include internal bleeding and even sudden cardiac arrest, which can cause death within minutes.