Car accidents occur nearly every minute of every day in the US and many involve someone being injured. Although not all car accidents result in injuries, car accident claims are by far the largest group of personal injury claims filed each year in the US.
Often someone is injured in a car accident and the extent of the injury is not immediately known. They walk or limp away thinking that they have been lucky to not have suffered a bad injury, only to find out later that they did in fact receive significant damage to their bodies and even emotional state as a result of the car accident.
This is why you need to see a doctor after an accident if you feel even slight pain, dizziness, or anxiety about the car accident.
Typical types of injuries sustained in a car accident
Dislocations can occur due to sudden deceleration and parts of the body making impact with some part of the car. These can be very serious injuries that involve any part of the body including cervical dislocation and disc injury.
Broken bones are typical in a car accident. Breaks can range from cracked ribs to more serious breaks that will require surgery, physical therapy, and long-term recovery. In some cases, damage from broken bones can lead to permanent loss of function.
Soft tissue injuries are injuries of the tendons, ligaments and the muscles, and are extremely common in car accidents. They include tears, sprains, strains and general soreness. Because they often require CT scans and other specialized equipment, it can be more complex detecting these injuries and the extent of the damage.
Therefore, the victim may be in continual discomfort with symptoms of pain, swelling and inflammation. Since rear-end and sudden impact collisions are prevalent car accidents, the most common soft tissue injury is whiplash whose symptoms include neck pain, stiffness, headache, burning sensations, shoulder and back pain and dizziness. Soft tissue injuries can often take a considerable amount of time to heal and need to be diagnosed accurately when they have occurred.
Internal Injuries to the bowels, kidneys, the spleen, liver, lungs, heart or aorta often occur in serious car accidents. Fractured ribs causing punctured lungs and other internal organs can also occur. The extent of an internal injury can often only be fully understood at a hospital. Some may have little pain, yet be life-threatening. For this reason even slight pain needs to be examined by a medical professional.
Psychological injuries are the most overlooked injuries in car crashes. Motor vehicle accidents involving severe injuries and even loss of life, can result in drivers and passengers suffering short or long-term psychological injuries such as emotional distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, persistent anxiety and depression. These psychological injuries can affect every facet of a person’s life and have long-lasting effects.
If you are injured in a car accident, you need to immediately make an appointment with iconmedicalcenters.com. They are medical professionals who can examine you from both the perspective of ascertaining your health status, and for any insurance or personal injury claims you may need to make.
