The Most Common Types Of Car Accidents: And What To Do If You are in One
Last updated Thursday, November 7th, 2024
From a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer – Types of Common Car Accident Injuries
If you are in a car accident, make sure to call Shuman Legal®, as we are a Chicago car accident lawyer.
While car accidents can cause a lot of different injuries, some types of injuries are more common than others. Sometimes the full effect of these injuries isn’t noticed until much later.
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Depending on how a car accident happens, any part of the body can be hurt. The type and severity of these injuries can change based on these four key things:
- Was the injured person wearing a seat belt?
- Did the accident happen from the rear, side, or front?
- Was the person sitting in the front or back of the car?
- What was the speed of the car when the crash happened?
If you or a loved one find yourself injured in a car crash, you deserve compensation. Trust Shuman Legal®’s 35 years of practical experience. You don’t have to fight the system alone, let one of our personal injury attorneys guide you through.
Save your valuable time, let our team of dedicated auto accident lawyers in Chicago fight for you and make sure you receive the full compensation you deserve.
Common car accident injuries are often classified as either impact injuries or penetrating injuries. These injuries can be severely crippling, or possibly even fatal depending on the severity of the injury.
Soft tissue injury car accident | Impact Injuries
Among the most common types of injuries in a car accident, soft tissue injuries cause damage to the softer part of the body, mainly the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The effects of soft tissue injuries, while often considered minor at the time, can sometimes lead to chronic bodily pain.
Many types of back injuries from car accidents are often caused by unnoticed or what may seem to be minor injuries such as muscle sprains or spine damage.
Whiplash is one of the most common forms of soft tissue injuries. Whiplash is caused due to the rapid stretching of head and neck muscles and ligaments in response to a sudden impact. Whiplash can usually be treated with first aid, but sometimes it can lead to a brain stem injury from a car accident. Dizziness and a loss of motor function are common symptoms of brain stem injuries, but more intense cases can lead to paralysis, coma, and even death. Treatment is expensive, and victims may find that they are unable to return to work.
We believe you or your loved one deserve compensation and support to cover lost workdays and medical bills, which can quickly add up if you take into account how much time you may be spending at the doctor’s office. Add unforeseen litigation costs as well and you’re staring at a significant financial blow.
Do not disregard minor car injuries! You or your loved one deserve compensation for every minute of your life that was lost due to a reckless driver.
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An experienced Chicago Car Accident Lawyer knows what needs to be done. The minute you sign with Shuman Legal ® - we start working.
Penetrating car injuries like scrapes and cuts
Everyday objects such as eyeglasses, cell phones, etc. can become projectiles during a car accident, causing scrapes and cuts.
More in the category of minor injuries, scrapes, and cuts can also be caused by broken car glass or displaced car parts. Small injuries are usually treated with basic first aid. However, if an airbag is deployed as a result of a crash, stitches or other medical treatment may be required.
Types of head injuries from car accidents
Perhaps one of the most serious forms of car injuries, head injuries can range from minor injuries such as whiplash to more severe ones like a TBI (traumatic brain injury). Unlike whiplash and other minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises that can be treated quickly and easily, closed head injuries sustained as a result of a severe collision however may lead to concussions and more serious brain damage that’s not as easy to treat.
Types of brain injuries from car accidents – Brain injuries may result in death or permanent, life-changing impairment. A person’s brain is divided into several parts, each doing its own part to control the mind and body. Based on the severity of the injury and the section of the brain affected, the aftermath of brain injuries could result in permanent memory damage, emotional difficulties, trouble communicating verbally, and challenges in coordinating regular balance and movement.
Responding Emergency Medical Systems teams are trained to ask the victim “Did you lose consciousness?” after an accident. In the case of a yes, or even a maybe, the EMS team would take note of this to make sure the injured person receives the medical attention they need.
When people suffer from head injuries, they may not show any symptoms at first. Later however an individual may show signs of personality changes such as irritability, memory problems, and changes to their overall outlook on life. For this reason, head injuries are often referred to as “silent” injuries.
Families of the victims should be aware of the possibility of this happening after an accident. An accident-related head injury can be diagnosed with the help of a specialist.
You or your loved one deserve fair compensation for your brain injuries, whether minor or serious. Insurance and disability claims can significantly complicate a case and drown most people in bureaucracy and paperwork during an already difficult recovery time.
Our dedicated auto accident lawyers in Chicago can cut through that red tape and take care of the details while you focus on your recovery. Call our firm; Shuman Legal® at (800) 722-9744 for our FREE legal advice.
Chest Injuries
Chest injuries are among the worst car accident injuries a driver can experience. The major cause of severe chest injuries is the small space between the steering wheel and the driver’s chest. The most common chest injuries in a car accident include contusions or bruises due to seat belts. However, serious car accidents may cause broken ribs or other internal injuries to drivers. Airbags can also cause intense bruising if they are deployed during a car crash.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Injury to the spinal cord can be just as harmful as a brain injury, this is due to the spine’s important key function of keeping the back straight, therefore providing balance and flexibility to an individual. Damage to the spinal cord blocks the transmission of the brain’s messages. As a result, reflex movements may begin to occur, but cannot be controlled
Our spinal cord spans from the base of the scalp down to the lower back, near the waist. A person’s spine can typically be divided into four main parts:
- Cervical spine (neck)
- Thoracic spine (upper back)
- Lumbar spine (middle back)
- Sacral region (lower back)
A cervical spine injury may lead to tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, a condition in which all the limbs, the chest, and the pelvis become paralyzed. The other intense spinal injury; Paraplegia is defined as the loss of function and sensation in the legs and pelvis, caused by injuries at the bottom of the spine, namely the thoracic or lumbar region.
These injuries are considered among the most serious car accident injuries since the damage to the spinal cord can not be undone. Unlike other parts of the human body, the spinal cord lacks the ability to repair itself once it has been damaged.
For those who suffer a spinal cord injury, prompt medical attention and comprehensive treatment are crucial. According to conservative estimates, lifetime costs for a 25-year-old patient suffering from paraplegia in the United States are estimated at around 2.5 million U.S. dollars.
Due to these higher costs, the opposing party’s lawyers and insurance will try to intimidate you into accepting less than fair compensation. It’s important to not be intimidated.
If a reckless motorist is at fault for you or your loved one’s injury, you deserve compensation for all of your future medical expenses that happen because of their negligence. Call one of the foremost Chicago law firms, Shuman Legal® at (800) 722-9744 for our FREE Legal Advice.
Dental injuries in car accidents
Dental injuries are not typically the first type of injury you think of involving car accidents. In addition to the pain experienced from dental injuries, a victim may have to deal with expensive medical bills and healthcare costs gathered due to their injuries. In addition to many types of car accident claims, you may also claim compensation for the cost of treating dental injuries.
Dental injuries are typically classified into two categories: direct and indirect injuries. Dental injuries resulting from car crashes include the following:
- Luxated Tooth: this injury loosens the tooth, allowing it to move from side to side. It will get worse over time if it’s not set in place correctly by a dentist.
- Avulsed Tooth: If a tooth is knocked out of the mouth, it is called an avulsed tooth. It can be saved if the tooth is recovered and set in place within two hours.
- Fractured Tooth: When the tooth breaks either within or outside the gums, it is considered a fractured tooth.
A seasoned Chicago car accident lawyer from our experienced team at Shuman Legal® can help you file a claim for such compensation. Call us and let us do what we can to help you.
Injured in a Car Accident?
An experienced Chicago Car Accident Lawyer knows what needs to be done. The minute you sign with Shuman Legal ® - we start working.
Sensorineural hearing loss after a car accident
Airbags are immensely important to saving lives in car accidents, but one of the tragic events that can happen due to airbag deployment is sensorineural hearing loss. Even though a person’s hearing can sometimes be improved by emergency surgery, sensorineural hearing loss is typically permanent.
Hearing loss can have a profound impact on one’s physical and emotional wellbeing – it can cause anxiety, fatigue, depression, loneliness, lowered alertness, reduced earning capacity, and worsen a person’s overall health.
Broken bones
Fractures seem straightforward at first glance- just set them and let them heal.
These injuries can, however, result in the loss of function of a limb, chronic pain, and infection if the bone protrudes through the skin. Chipped pieces of bone can also cause internal damage if they make contact with organs, as is commonly the case with broken ribs.
Do not accept any compensation until you have undergone detailed medical testing. Better yet, call us to contact one of our car accident attorneys in Illinois so that we can provide the best possible advice for you.
Amputated limbs
In an unfortunate car crash, a person may lose a limb. Occasionally, limb amputations become necessary in cases where the limb is too damaged to repair.
An amputation is a relatively rare car accident injury, but when this injury happens, it creates a lifelong disability for the survivors.
A car accident occurs in seconds. However, the consequences of a car accident sometimes last a lifetime.
The pain of your loss can never be fully expressed, however, our car accident attorneys can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call us at (800) 722-9744 for our FREE Legal Advice.
