How These 7 Common Car Accident Injuries Will Affect Your Life

Image by Netto Figueiredo from Pixabay

Anyone who has ever experienced an automobile crash knows the damage that can happen. Accident victims do not only face the prospect of serious physical injuries, emotional distress like anxiety and insomnia can appear as well. Your finances can also take a hit through lost wages and medical bills.

In the following, we will address how some of the most common car accident injuries can impact your life. A herniated disc, for example, may severely limit movements and requires a rather long recovery process. In some cases, it might lead to permanent damage.

1. Scrapes

If you walked away from a car accident only with some superficial scrapes and cuts, consider yourself lucky. However, these can also be more severe, causing pain and limiting movement. What is more, open wounds can get infected, causing further complications. Make sure that you follow the doctor’s recommendations and clean the affected area thoroughly on a regular basis.

2. Whiplash

This is one of the most common injuries that result from automobile accidents. Whiplash is most common in rear-end accidents. The impact makes the head whip back and then immediately forward. What makes the motion more violent is that the torso of the driver or passenger is held in place by a seat belt.

The head and neck may become so stiff that the victim is unable to move them. Headaches and dizziness are also common symptoms. More serious whiplash injuries can result in damage to:

• Muscles
• Ligaments
• Nerves
• Discs located between vertebrates
• Cervical bones

3. Concussion

Victims can suffer a concussion when their head or face comes in contact with the inside of a car. The impact of these accidents can cause the brain to shift making it collide with the skull’s interior. Sufficient impact may lead to bruises on the brain or bleeding.

Concussion symptoms include blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. Rest and a supply of pain relievers are sometimes sufficient treatment for mild to moderate concussions. Symptom relief should become noticeable after one to four weeks. A severe concussion can cause long-term disruptions in mood, sleep patterns, anxiety levels, and sensitivity to light.

4. Broken Bones

A car crash with a considerable impact can lead to broken bones. The most exposed body parts for this type of injury are the legs, arms, hips, and shoulders. Your limbs might get caught in the wreckage, or get hit by debris. Furthermore, ribs can also be affected. During the collision your body can be pushed in all directions with a great force, straining your torso.

This type of injury can occur in any type of crash. Broken bones are painful and can take a very long time to heal completely

Beside consulting a doctor, you should also consider contacting an attorney. A car accident lawyer can help facilitate the recovery process by taking care of legal proceedings and securing fair compensation.

5. Seat Belt Syndrome

Seat belt syndrome is the name given to the catalog of injuries that appear when your body makes violent contact against the restraint provided by a seat belt. A bruise is perhaps one of the mildest forms of harm thus ensued. More severe forms include fractures of the vertebrate and damage to the internal organs of the abdomen.

The tenderness and bruising resulting from a seat belt will go away on their own after some time. But any internal injuries will require an extended recovery period. The most extreme forms of harm can seriously affect the survivor for the rest of their lives.

6. Herniated Disc

Many locations along the spine can become injured during a car accident. A herniated disc can result from the same motion that causes whiplash and may appear at any point along the spine. When discs become displaced, the pressure they apply to the nerves close to the spinal column can cause excruciating pain.

The symptoms that indicate a herniated disc will depend on where along the spine the injury occured. Herniated discs higher along the spine may cause numbness, tingling, and pain in the arms. The same sensation may affect the legs when the injury is lower in the spine.

Those who suffered disc herniations will need to be careful with their movements throughout the healing process. A full recovery is possible, but the more severe cases can lead to permanent complications.

7. PTSD

Car accidents do not leave only physical scars. Some survivors are left emotionally scared too. Approximately 30% of victims have been diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at least 30 days after the incident.

PTSD is part of the anxiety disorders family and can be triggered by experiencing life-threatening events. The condition is famously common among vets, who are frequently exposed to dangerous situations in which their own life or the lives of others are in danger. Common symptoms include:

• Re-living the traumatic event as intrusive thoughts or images. Some also report distressing dreams.
• Physical arousal manifests in constant irritability, easy startling, and problems sleeping.
• Emotional numbness is characterized by a lack of emotional involvement and a sense of detachment. You might feel like a spectator rather than the main actor of your life.
• Avoiding anything linked to the traumatic incident. This is a behavioral symptom, and so it is easier to notice. Someone with PTSD might find it a very difficult (or even an impossible) task to get behind the wheel again.

There are several treatment options for PTSD. Two of the most efficient therapy techniques are cognitive processing and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. The recovery process will be guided by a qualified psychologist who will empower you to overcome the troubling symptoms. Medications can also be prescribed to help with the more severe forms of PTSD.

Psychological wounds are more difficult to notice than physical ones. Family members and close friends of the survivor have an added responsibility to detect any mental or emotional distress. Pay attention to conversations, if they manifest any obsessive thoughts about the accident or if they avoid it completely. Behavioral changes can be a tell-tale sign as well.

If you have been involved in a car accident and suspect that you might experience any psychological unease, do not hesitate to consult a trained mental health specialist.

Finding Help

The injuries accident victims sustain can affect them for weeks, months, or years after an accident. The most important thing is to focus on your health and give your body time to recover. You should surround yourself with loved ones and use their emotional support to fuel the healing process.