An accident can turn your life upside down.
You may feel angry, afraid and left with little options.
Or desperate for money to pay bills and medical expenses.
Have You been Injured in a Car Accident?
It’s pretty common for car accident victims to not realize how serious their injury actually is.
Sometimes a traumatic injury can take time to materialize.
Even though the injury can take time to become apparent, there may still be legal options to help you with medical bills and compensation for your injury.
The best thing you can do is talk to a car accident lawyer.
Common Types of Injuries After a Car Accident
Some injuries that can take time to present themselves. We have compiled a list of some of the most common injuries below. However, there can be other injuries not included in this list. Contact our team of attorneys to discuss whether your case may deserve compensation.
1. Traumatic Brain Injury
When the brain is damaged by a blow or piercing, the individual injured can experience long term disability. Car accidents are a primary cause of brain injuries.
2. Spinal Cord Injuries, Paralysis, and Paraplegia
The Mayo Clinic finds that car accidents are the leading cause of Spinal Cord injuries in the U.S. The Mayo Clinic states that “A spinal cord injury — damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal (cauda equina) — often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury. If you’ve recently experienced a spinal cord injury, it might seem like every aspect of your life has been affected. You might feel the effects of your injury mentally, emotionally, and socially.”
3. Back Injuries
There are many types of back injuries that can result from a car accident including whiplash, herniated disks, and spinal fractures
4. Burns
Burns can be common when a vehicle catches fire after an accident. A burn from a car accident can cause internal damage to your organs.
5. Broken Bones and Fractures
Broken legs, ribs, arms, ankles, wrists, and hips can be common in a car accident. Certain bones, especially hips can take time to show up on an MRI. These injuries can require surgery or long-term attention. In severe situations, limbs can even need to be amputated.
6. Injuries causing scars and disfigurement
Facial injuries caused by your face coming in contact with any vehicle components can cause disfigurement requiring corrective surgeries and possibly long-term disfiguration.
7. Concussions
If you hit your head on a part of the car, it’s possible to experience a concussion causing issues with memories or having your brain not function at full capacity.
8. Internal Bleeding
The impact of a car accident can damage your internal organs and cause them to bleed. These serious injuries are very common in high-speed collisions. Medical professionals state, “Internal bleeding is one of the most serious consequences of trauma. Usually, the bleeding results from obvious injuries that require rapid medical attention. Internal bleeding may also occur after less severe trauma or be delayed by hours or days.”
9. Shoulder Injuries
Often, when your shoulder holds the steering wheel in an accident, it can lock up and experience intense force from the crash causing severe damage.
10. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
In addition to many of the injuries listed above, you may be experiencing mental and emotional trauma. For example, a disfiguring scar can cause emotional distress. The crash itself can cause anxiety after the accident. Our team can help navigate how to legally pursue assistance for these types of injuries that are not as easily demonstrable.
What to Do After a Car Accident
There are a number of considerations and action steps for you to consider if you are just now realizing you have an injury connected to a prior accident.
- Take medical action immediately.
- Save all photos (this could include MRIs, X-rays, or other scans as well as photos of the car accident you may have.
- File a police report.
- Contact a car accident attorney so that you can ensure that you don’t miss any time requirements set by the court to file your case.
Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
Negligence is central to building a solid injury case. You need to prove that the other party acted in a manner that caused the accident.
Most injuries have a statute of limitations, which is a deadline for bringing a claim
