Car crashes are one of the leading causes of serious injuries and death in the United States. While most car crashes are not fatal, they can still cause serious injuries that may require long-term medical care or result in disability.
Some common injuries from car crashes include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and whiplash. This blog post will explore the potential for serious injuries from moderately extreme car crashes. We will discuss the types of crashes that are most likely to cause serious injuries, as well as the severity of these injuries.
If you are injured in a car accident in South Carolina, you first should reach out to Injury Medicine’s South Carolina injury center. Our South Carolina injury clinic can help you with timely medical attention, diagnosis, and treatment.
How Can You Prevent Car Crashes?
Car crashes are a big deal; apart from the massive destruction they cause, they are also the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. One in three teen deaths is the result of a car crash. But there are ways to prevent car crashes.
The best way to prevent car crashes is to be a safe driver. Drive defensively and always be aware of your surroundings. Be sure to wear your seatbelt and don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Obey the speed limit and never text while driving.
In addition to being a safe driver, you can also take steps to avoid accidents. Be sure your vehicle is well-maintained and that you can see clearly out of all windows. Avoid driving in bad weather conditions if possible. And finally, pay attention to your environment and be on the lookout for potential hazards.
What Are The Common Injuries From Car Crashes?
Car crashes are one of the leading causes of injury in the United States. While most car crashes are not fatal, they can still cause serious injuries. The most common injuries from car crashes include:
Back Injuries
Back injuries are typical of vehicle accidents since the human body and spine are not designed to withstand high impact. Back injuries might appear months or years after an injury. A major back injury can cause severe and long-term pain and impairment.
Internal injuries
When a crash presses the body into an item or the body is impacted by flying debris, damage to internal organs may result.
Scars And Disfiguring Face Injuries
Facial injuries in car accidents can be caused by broken glass or by collision with a steering wheel, dash, windscreen, airbag, side window, car seat, or other hard surfaces. Disfigurement from face injuries may require surgical repair and might leave a victim with a lifelong scar.
Head Injuries
In a high-speed crash, a victim’s head may impact the steering wheel, the glass, or a side window. They may suffer from scratches and bruises to the face and internal harm to the brain. A quick jolt to the head can cause a closed head injury, such as a concussion, and more serious types of brain damage.
Whiplash And Other Soft Tissue Injuries
Whiplash is one of the most frequent injuries in car accidents, and it has grown so frequent in claims that many insurers are wary of it. This entails a victim’s neck, upper back muscles, and ligaments being stretched forcefully. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury affecting muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Other soft tissue injuries in car accidents include the middle and lower back muscles.
Neck Injuries
The neck serves as a narrow base for a large head. Jarring the body can cause damage to the muscles, tendons, cartilage, and other soft tissues of the neck.
Whiplash is caused by a rapid forward and backward movement of the neck. The movement is similar to that of a whip cracking. Whiplash or other damage, while not apparent, might take months to recover or lead to a life of pain.
Your head weighs around 11 pounds. However, if you’ve been in an accident and your head is not erect, it might feel like it weighs 60 pounds, resulting in numerous neck ailments. Neck injuries are also caused by the steering wheel and airbags, which require medical care.
Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries and other severe injuries can result in paralysis.
Paralysis might be partial or complete below the area of the damage. Nearly half of all spinal cord injuries are caused by car accidents. Typically, a blow to the back produces paralysis by shifting or fracturing bones and ripping or injuring the spinal cord.
Spinal cord damage has no known remedy. It is likely to result in surgeries, physical therapy, pain management, and a wheelchair or other mobility apparatus for life.
Wrist And Hand Injuries
If your hands flew up to shield you in the event of a car accident, the impact might seriously harm them. Delicate bones of the hand and wrist function together in a complicated interaction. You may require surgery and lose several functions while it recovers.
Leg & Foot Injuries
Leg and foot injuries are common among drivers. When they drive with their legs stretched forward, these bones and tissues might bear the impact of a forward collision, resulting in leg injuries. The foot, like the hand, is packed with tiny bones that are easily broken or knocked out of place.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Not all vehicle accidents result in bodily harm. A car accident may lead you to suffer from mental and emotional damage. You could have post-traumatic stress disorder, and tasks that used to be regular may become bothersome and even difficult. Following a car accident, you may be entitled to recover for your mental health care and emotional distress.
Injured In A Car Accident? Seek Medical Help From Our South Carolina Injury Clinic Now!
If you’ve been in a car accident in South Carolina, it’s important to contact Injury Medicine’s South Carolina injury clinic as soon as possible. The experienced medical team at our South Carolina injury center will make sure that your medical needs are taken care of and that you have the support you need to recover from your injuries.
Don’t delay your appointment, call us now for immediate medical assistance!