Do You Have One of the Most Common Car Crash Injuries?
For most Americans in this day and age, automobile accidents are an unavoidable reality. Even the smallest car accident can have lasting physical effects. Every year, Americans spend over 1 million days in the hospital because of car crash injuries. In 2012 alone, car crash injuries totaled $18 billion in lifetime medical costs. If you or a loved one have recently been suffering personal injury as a result of a car crash, you have the right to seek legal help and compensation from a New York personal injury lawyer.
Types of Common Car Crash Injuries
Head injuries are some of the most serious wounds in car accidents. The sudden impact and force of a high-speed automobile accident may cause both drivers and passengers to hit their heads against steering wheels, dashboards, or windows. Such incidences may lead to traumatic brain injuries, such as mild concussions or more permanent damage. They may also lead to skull fractures, hearing loss, and vision problems.
Back injuries are also common and occur in varying degrees of severity. Minor back injuries may result in a herniated disk or chronic pain, while more serious damage to the spinal cord may result in significant and permanent nerve damage. In fact, automobile accidents are the leading cause of all spinal cord injuries.
Neck injuries often involve whiplash, likely the most “conventional” car accident injury. Sudden head and neck movement have the possibility to do serious damage to the muscles and ligaments, leading to chronic pain. It is even possible to suffer from temporary vocal cord paralysis after an accident.
Seatbelts are a cause of many serious chest-related injuries, with blunt force trauma acting as a potential cause of broken ribs and collapsed lungs. Internal bleeding and other damage to the internal organs may also occur. It is also possible for those with preexisting heart conditions to go into cardiac arrest due to the strain of a car accident.
Finally, some other physical and internal injuries can include extremity injuries and emotional distress. Extremity injuries happen particularly frequently for motorcyclists and pedestrians, and can even include full dismemberment. Many people also report feeling emotional distress, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, following a car accident. These psychological injuries must also be treated in order to ensure an individual’s continued well-being.
Treating Common Car Crash Injuries
Because many injuries are more serious than they first appear, it is vitally important to seek medical attention immediately following an automobile accident. Symptoms of a serious injury may not always come immediately. Pain, numbness, or dizziness may all occur even weeks following an accident.
As long as you do not receive medical attention, your health is at risk—and the more difficult it will be to prove that any injuries you’ve sustained occurred as a result of the car crash. Remember to document any pain or any other symptoms and to take pictures of any visible injuries following an accident. Afterward, you should also document your medical expenses as evidence of the true cost of your care.
Seeking Compensation for Common Car Crash Injuries
Accidents happen to even the best driver, and even a small injury can result in drastic medical bills. Thankfully, legal recourse is available. Contact a New York personal injury lawyer to get the compensation you deserve. The law firm of Gattuso & Ciotoli, PLLC is available any time day or night at (315) 314-8000 for a free consultation drawing on over 50 years of combined legal experience. Don’t pay for somebody else’s mistakes.