If you are lucky, you may be one of the lucky ones to escape with only minor injuries in a car accident. However, less fortunate car accident victims frequently suffer serious injuries that may require emergency medical treatment, ongoing surgeries, therapy and medication.
When serious injuries result in permanent disability, victims may require assistive devices or around-the-clock care that can be provided only in long-term care facilities or through around-the-clock home care. Severe injuries may leave a victim disabled and unable to return to the job he or she held before the accident.
Car accidents can cause all types of injuries, ranging in severity from minor to serious to catastrophic. Injuries commonly sustained in motor vehicle crashes in South Carolina include:
Soft Tissue Injuries
Damage to the connective tissues of the body – muscles, ligaments, and tendons – is the most common injury suffered in car accidents. Soft tissue injury can take many forms, including strains (damage to muscles or tendons), sprains (damage to ligaments) and contusions (bruising).
Cuts
Loose objects inside a vehicle can become projectiles when they are thrown about in a collision. When they hit the body, they can cause cuts, which may be minor or serious, requiring sutures. Broken glass in a car crash can also cause cuts.
Burns
In high-impact collisions, a loose wire or spark may ignite the gasoline in the vehicle, and one or both of the vehicles involved may catch fire and cause occupants to suffer burn injuries. Severe burns can be disfiguring and debilitating and require repeated surgeries for skin grafting.
Amputations
As reported by EMS World, more than 30,000 traumatic amputations occur in the U.S. every year. One of the leading causes is automobile accidents. Severe crush injuries in a collision can result in the loss of a limb, either in the collision itself or out of medically necessity due to one’s injuries.
Fractures
The force of a collision can fracture arms, legs, vertebrae and other bones in the body. Some fractures may need to be surgically repaired and require emergency medical treatment.
Whiplash
As defined by the Mayo Clinic, whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by a whip-like, back and forth motion of the head and neck, which often occurs in an automobile accident. Whiplash is a common injury in rear-end collisions.
Chest and Abdominal Injuries
Minor contusions or more serious injuries such as broken ribs and internal injuries are commonly sustained in the chest and abdominal areas in traffic crashes. Drivers often suffer chest injuries when the body is thrown forward against the steering wheel. Passengers may hit the dash. Seat belt chest injuries are not uncommon.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Sprains, strains, fractured vertebrae and herniated discs are common injuries to the lower back in auto collisions. When the spinal cord tissue is bruised or torn, paralysis can leave the victim paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Head and brain injuries are among the most common and debilitating injuries suffered in traffic crashes. These injuries are caused when the head is hit by or hits against an object forcefully, or when the brain is jostled within the skull from the force of impact.
Legal Help for Injured Car Accident Victims
If you have been injured in an auto accident and are seeking compensation for your medical expenses and other losses, your best course of action is to consult with an attorney who has a broad range of experience in injury cases. Our South Carolina car accident lawyers at Jebaily Law Firm, will put our experience to work for you, actively pursuing the maximum compensation you are entitled to receive.
Our lawyers have been fighting for South Carolina accident victims since 1969. Our firm has a history of results for our clients in car accident cases and other personal injury matters. We have the knowledge, resources, and determination to work hard for the outcome you deserve. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
