Many possible factors determine the nature of injuries sustained in a car accident. As expected, speed of impact and use of seat belts play decisive roles, but there are many other variables that can be equally significant, such as:
- what classes of vehicle were involved?
- Where did the initial impact take place?
- Was there a secondary or tertiary impact?
- Did either vehicle contain loose items on the floor, such as belongings, that could have become projectiles at the moment of impact?
In the aftermath of a serious accident, these and other matters may be of the utmost concern for your auto accident lawyer in substantiating a liability claim.
The Classification of Injuries
Injuries suffered in car accidents often fall under one of two classifications:
- Impact, in which the body is affected by high-speed contact with the vehicular interior or objects contained there. Impact injury caused by displaced internal organs can also have devastating consequences.
- Penetration, in which the body is pierced by displaced debris, such as windshield glass.
The degree of injury in either classification can range from relatively minor to immediately fatal.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Even with the protections modern automotive technology provides, the body is distressingly vulnerable to collision. Accident victims often present to hospitals with potentially life-changing injuries, and not all injuries manifest right away.
- Whiplash is a colloquial term that describes a spectrum of possible neck injuries. These injuries are often caused by the neck’s sudden acceleration in a rear-end collision. Whiplash injuries are not always obvious immediately after the crash, and low-speed crashes are fully capable of inflicting them.
- Like whiplash, traumatic brain injuries are sometimes not immediately apparent. The brain can be hurt by an impacting force independent of the head itself, so that life-threatening injury is possible even without obvious fractures, cuts or bruises.
- Due to its internal complexity, the back is susceptible to car accident injury. Vertebral discs, ligaments and the spinal column are all vulnerable to short- and long-term injuries.
Seeking medical attention after a serious auto accident is vital for identifying less obvious forms of injury as soon as possible. Early medical evaluation can also help a car accident lawyer build a case on your behalf and ease negotiations with any insurance companies involved in your claim.