Serious Car Accident Injuries
In a small community like Durham, California, most people aren’t expecting to be involved in a collision on any given commute to work or trip to the grocery store. However, even in places with mild traffic, there is always a risk of being involved in a crash. Collisions happen in an instant and can easily cause injuries that change people’s lives. According to information from NHTSA, more than two million people suffer vehicle accident injuries in the U.S. annually. The DOT has reported that almost 200,000 of these accidents take place in California. Those who spend time driving on local roads or state highways may want to learn about the types of serious injuries that car accidents are liable to cause.
Bone Fractures
Fractured bones are a very common accident injury. Many times, the fracture is minor and heals over a relatively short period of time. However, more serious fractures can leave people with issues such as chronic pain and limited mobility. Depending on what bone you fracture, these injuries can make it much more difficult to continue living your daily life and may mean needing to take time off work or making accessibility modifications to your home.
If you suffer an open fracture (if your skin is broken), the injury can put you at risk for infections because bacteria have an easy route to enter your body. In some cases, these infections can cause severe damage or even cost people their lives. A few of the common types of bone fractures seen in vehicle accidents include:
- Hip Fractures
- Skull Fractures
- Vertebral Fractures
- Clavicle Fractures
- Facial Fractures
- Ankle Fractures
Traumatic Brain Injuries
One especially common type of accident trauma is traumatic brain injuries (TBI). These injuries are caused when the head suffers a sudden impact or violent motion. Because our heads are not restrained or protected by a helmet inside of our vehicles, these types of injuries are a serious risk. Like bone fractures, the severity of a TBI can vary widely. While some only cause minor symptoms like headaches and fatigue, others can cause permanent cognitive and physical issues.
These injuries can be difficult to detect after an accident takes place and sometimes take weeks or even months to fully develop symptoms. Many times, people will walk away from accidents thinking they are unharmed only to start experiencing the effects of a TBI later on. Because of this, it is important to see a doctor if you’ve been involved in an accident so that they can check to see if you have suffered a TBI. Detecting these injuries early on can help prevent dangerous complications and secondary trauma.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Another major injury that is common in auto accidents is spinal cord trauma. The spinal cord is the hub of the body’s nervous system. Because of this, injuries that affect the spinal cord can be very painful and are liable to affect the whole body. Furthermore, nerve tissue heals very slowly, meaning spinal injuries are likely to cause long-lasting or even permanent symptoms.
Learning to live your life while dealing with the symptoms of a spinal injury can be hard, especially if you have suffered paralysis. The process of coping with your injury is different for everybody, but can be very expensive and often dramatically affects survivors’ lives.
Recovering Damages
No matter what type of injury you sustain, recovering can be difficult. While the process of regaining your health can be physically difficult, it is also a financial burden as well. Thankfully, those who have been injured in a car accident are often able to claim compensation for their losses through personal injury claims. If you’ve been injured and think you may have a viable personal injury claim, take a look at the following video for more information. However, you should always make sure to contact a Durham car accident lawyer to get specific advice.
More Blogs by Durham Car Accident Lawyer, Ed Smith
- Fatal Durham Area Crash
- How can a Durham Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
- Durham Resident Injured in Auto Accident
Durham Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Durham car accident lawyer. If an accident has caused you serious trauma, call my office so I can give you free, friendly advice. Reach me at either (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400.
My firm has represented people from Durham in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1982. Read about our history of success by visiting our settlements and verdicts page or by taking a look at the reviews our clients have written for us at these popular rating sites:
As a lawyer, I’m a member of:
Picture: ab
:ms llo [cs 792]