Common Car Accident Injuries
At Naqvi Injury Law, our Las Vegas car accident lawyers have helped hundreds of men and women after they have suffered the following injuries in a crash:
- Cuts and abrasions
- Burns
- Factures
- Whiplash
- Joint injuries
- Chest contusions
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal column injury
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
For help with your case, please contact us today. We can bring a claim for compensation against the driver or entity at fault for your collision, but we must act quickly. Contact us for a free consultation.
Cuts & Abrasions
A motorist can suffer cuts or abrasions when they strike parts of the vehicle or when glass shatters and cuts them. If they were not wearing a seatbelt, they can be thrown out of the car and skid along the asphalt, suffering friction burns in the process.
These might not sound like serious injuries, but cuts and abrasions carry many complications. For example, there is always the risk of infection, which can spread to other parts of the body. Cuts or abrasions also can leave scars, which can be potentially embarrassing when on visible parts of the body. Someone with a jagged scar across their face, for example, could withdraw socially.
Burns
A motorist can be burned when the vehicle catches on fire or when splashed with battery acid. Burns vary in severity and size. A small, shallow burn might heal rapidly. However, deeper burns can require skin grafts to close the wound and surgery to release contracted skin over joints. Severe burns can cause amputation or, when they cover a large part of the body, lead to death.
Fractures
Any bone in the body can fracture due to the traumatic impact sustained in a car crash. Typically, we see fractured hands, arms, legs, and ribs. Even someone wearing a seatbelt could break a bone. Fractures carry many complications, including damage to nearby soft-tissue and blood vessels. Some fractures result in excessive bleeding and nerve damage.
Rib fractures are particularly dangerous and often lead to pneumonia and death, especially in the elderly. To heal a fracture, many patients require surgery to install a pin, plate, or screw that keeps bone fragments in place, while other patients must immobilize the affected limb with a cast.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that affects the muscles and tendons in the neck and upper back. The violent back-and-forth (or side-to-side) motion after impact can stretch and tear the soft tissue. In extreme cases, vertebrae in the neck could also fracture. Whiplash is common in rear-end collisions, though a victim could suffer whiplash in any type of wreck.
Whiplash leads to a host of symptoms, including headaches, neck stiffness, depression, and trouble standing or balancing. Unfortunately, there is no known cure. Instead, our clients must wait for their necks to heal, which can take months. Prescription drugs can help manage symptoms, like pain and sleeplessness, and massage can helpfully reintroduce movement.
In extreme cases, a patient might need surgery to treat whiplash and limit damage to the spinal cord. Our Las Vegas car accident lawyers understand that whiplash is a serious injury and fight for maximum compensation for our clients.
Joint Injuries
The joints are very complicated and require muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, and cartilage to work properly. Any traumatic accident can result in immobility and constant pain. We have represented clients who have suffered injuries to their hips, elbows, knees, shoulders, toes, and fingers. When joints have been badly injured, a client might need the entire joint replaced.
Chest Contusions
A blow to the chest can cause a chest contusion. Even people wearing seatbelts can suffer one since the belt can cut sharply into the chest on impact.
A chest contusion can result in some life-threatening injuries, including myocardial contusions, which are bruises to the heart. Other injuries include blood pooling between the lungs and the chest walls. Chest contusions often require immediate medical intervention.
Organ Damage
A car accident can seriously damage internal organs, such as the liver, kidney, intestines, lungs, and heart. These injuries are difficult to diagnose because the damage is invisible. Patients might feel that something is “wrong” but not know what.
Some organ damage leads to excessive bleeding. The buildup of blood puts pressure on nearby tissue, like nerves, and can cause lasting damage if not promptly relieved.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The brain works in mysterious ways. Any violent shaking can disrupt its normal functioning and lead to memory loss, confusion, and disability. A motorist can suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when they strike their head on the steering wheel or side window. Even violent shaking can lead to injury.
TBIs range from mild to life-threatening. Many victims must spend time in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) where doctors monitor their vital signs. The road to recovery is long and often requires rehabilitation to help with speech impairment, physical disability, and mood disorders. A severe TBI can cause a person to slip into a vegetative state.
Back Injury
Back injuries are surprisingly common after car accidents. The violent, wrenching motion can seriously damage tissue. The back is a network of muscles, tendons, bones, and other tissue, all of which could be injured in a crash. A back injury might be something as simple as a back strain that requires a few months to heal.
More serious injuries include a herniated disc. These discs sit between the vertebrae in the spinal column and provide a cushion between bones. They are filled with a jelly-like substance that can extrude from the shell after a violent car accident and press against nerves, leading to pain. Victims face months of conservative treatment and possibly surgery.
Spinal Column Injury
The spinal column protects the spinal cord, which acts as a neural superhighway, sending signals up and down the body. Any injury to the spinal column is very serious given the importance of the spinal cord.
For example, many patients can suffer from spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal tunnel. This narrowing causes compression to the spinal cord and leads to pain and impairment. Surgery is often required to create more space.
Any damage to the spinal cord itself can be devastating. Many patients will suffer permanent impairment, although rehab can often help some patients regain a measure of mobility. If the cord is completely cut in two, however, a car accident victim might be permanently paralyzed below the site of injury. A lifetime of medical costs and lost wages can easily add up to several million dollars.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Our Las Vegas car accident lawyers understand that not all injuries are physical. Instead, motorists can suffer severe emotional distress and anguish. One injury is PTSD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 39.2% of those involved in car accidents suffer post-traumatic stress disorder.
This disorder manifests in different ways. However, many people will experience negative mood shifts, including anxiety and depression. They might also suffer from intrusive memories, such as reliving the accident over and over so much that they cannot sleep. Someone with PTSD also might go out of their way to avoid getting into a vehicle again.
PTSD is a serious injury, and car accident victims should talk to their doctor frankly about how they are feeling emotionally. Interventions can include therapy and prescription drugs to manage symptoms.
Speak with a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer Today
A lawyer at Naqvi Injury Law can meet to discuss your case in a free consultation. Please contact us today.