Available 24/7Automobile accidents in Riverside can lead to a variety of negative outcomes including property damage, vehicular destruction, and in the very worst case, fatalities. Personal injuries also occur with great frequency after automobile accidents. The United States Department of Transportation reports that two million people were injured in crashes in 2013. That same year, the California Highway Patrol reported that 223,128 persons were injured. Of these 223,128 injuries, individuals were harmed in similar ways. This article discusses the most common types of injuries due to automobile accidents in California.
Broken Bones
Because the bodies of individuals involved in accidents are moved uncontrollably throughout an automobile, automobile accidents frequently result in broken bones. The types of broken bones often include arms, knees, legs, and ribs. Broken bones are often accompanied by severe pain. While less complicated broken bones only require casts, more serious injuries require surgery or rehabilitation.
Chest Injuries
While seatbelts save lives and reduce the severity of injuries during automobile accidents, the sheer force involved in an automobile accident can lead to one’s body being flung against the seat belt. Some common chest injuries include collapsed lungs, organ damage, and broken bones.
Facial Injuries
Facial injuries can prove life-lasting in terms of scarring and disfigurement. Facial injuries can lead to extensive medical procedures including plastic surgery.
Head Injuries
Another common type of type of accident suffered by automobile accident victims are head injuries. These injuries typically occur when an individual’s head strikes the steering wheel, window, or even dashboard. Head injuries are suggested by symptoms including nausea, memory loss, confusion, dizziness, and blurred vision. Head injuries, while often very serious, are not always physically visible necessitating the need for medical examinations even when none of these symptoms are apparent. Head injuries can lead to long-lasting disabilities due to brain damage. The long-term medical checkups required for head and brain injuries can lead to mountains of medical bills.
Internal Injuries
The most severe automobile injuries can result in internal bleeding and damages to organs including the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Not to mention, sometimes bones broken during accidents can puncture organs leading to internal bleeding and other complications. Internal injuries are serious conditions that often require expensive medical treatment.
Mental Injuries
Not all injuries are visible. Automobile accidents can lead to emotional disturbances. Post-traumatic stress syndrome symptoms occur in three-quarters of vehicle accidents.
Neck Injuries
Automobile accident victims cite neck pain as the most frequent ailment endured during a car crash. When a vehicle collides with another vehicle, the neck of individuals in automobiles are often quickly pulled forward then back causing neck injury and sometimes whiplash. Due to the nerve-wracking nature of car accidents, one might not immediately notice neck injuries caused by an accident. In addition to physical pain in one’s neck, neck injuries are also frequently accompanied by headaches, disorientation, and dizziness. The very worst neck injuries might even involve concussions. Sometimes, neck injuries heal without medical assistance. Recovery from neck injuries, however, can sometimes prove extremely difficult because damage to neck tissue can be difficult to diagnose and often necessitates years of physical therapy. In addition to painkillers, one might also be told to apply ice to the neck. In the very worst cases, patients must wear a neck brace to limit neck movement.
Spinal Injuries
The same quick motions that cause neck injuries can also sometimes lead to back pain. Sometimes these injuries are due to less severe conditions like pulled muscles. Other times, back pain can be an indicator of serious spinal injury. In addition to pain along one’s spine, spinal injuries can result in decreased sensation in one’s arms, legs, hands, feet, and other body parts. Spinal injuries frequently require years of medical attention.
Advice to Limit Injuries
No single piece of advice exists to entirely stop automobile accidents from occurring. There are certain steps that one can follow, however, to greatly limit the number of injuries that occur during an automobile accident. At the very least, individuals can take precautions to lessen the severity of injuries resulting from automobile crashes, including the following steps:
Always Wear Your Seatbelt. It is estimated that seat belts have saved approximately 300,000 lives since 1975. Seat belts are a highly effective device in preventing serious injuries caused by car crashes. Many states require seat belts be worn by all individuals in an automobile. Not to mention, other states contain laws requiring children under a certain age to wear seatbelts.
Do Not Drive While Distracted. Distracted driving includes a variety of practices that divert one’s attention from driving. Distracted driving includes cell phone talking, texting, playing with the radio, eating, and grooming. One of the dangers of distracted driving is that it lessens your response time to avoid potential roadside hazards which might require quick handling of your vehicle.
Never Put Your Feet on the Dash. This dangerous but often practiced behavior can lead to deadly consequences and a variety of physical injuries.
Obey Traffic Laws. In addition to fines incurred by violating traffic laws, failure to obey traffic laws can also lead to unfortunate consequences including serious injuries. One of the most important traffic laws to obey is the speed limit. Speeding contributes to a large number of accidents. Speeding also increases the severity of accidents.
Remember Your First Aid Kit. Simply put, first aid kits are essentials. Always be sure your vehicle contains a first aid kid. When automobile accidents do occur, emergency personnel do not immediately arrive at the scene and sometimes may take quite some time to arrive. The materials contained in a first aid kit may very well be the only materials on hand at the scene of an accident. Some stores offer pre-made first aid kids. There are also lists of essential first aid kit materials available online.
If you have been in an auto accident, call our experienced car accident legal professionals at The Sargent Firm Injury Lawyers as soon as possible for a free consultation to discuss your case.