It can be scary to think of the power we have when we are driving down the freeway. When we drive so often, it is easy to become complacent and forget the risk of motor vehicles, and it’s this casual carelessness that can sometimes lead to accidents – the consequences of which can be devastating for the people involved. If you find yourself involved in a car crash that wasn’t your fault, contact a Tampa Car Accident Attorney for more information. Here are some of the most common car accident injuries that you are at risk of…
In This Article
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused when your body has been moving quickly but is suddenly, and forcefully brought to a halt – for example, if you are rear-ended, or crash into someone at speed. Your neck is whipped forward and backward and this can injure the ligaments, muscle, and tissue in your neck. It can be incredibly painful and last a few weeks.
Broken bone
These can range from a broken pinky finger where you were gripping the steering wheel, to much more life-changing injuries such as a broken neck or back. In a car accident, these breakages will often happen due to the force of the impact, and potentially your body hitting the steering wheel, side of the car, or even the other vehicle involved. Something like broken ribs might be less easy to see on-site, but will be incredibly painful and can cause internal damage to your organs.
Internal bleeding
The trauma of being hit at force at a high speed can cause damage to the blood vessels inside your body and cause internal bleeding. Quite often, you might not show any signs of internal bleeding but you should be checked just in case. The signs can be quite subtle and missed but they often get worse over time, so look out for swelling or pain in the stomach, blood in urine or stools, feeling confused and slurring speech, or even vomiting blood. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Cuts and lacerations
Bleeding that is a lot more obvious, you might find various cuts and wounds on your body after a crash. These could be small cuts from broken glass or much more serious injuries caused by the car crumpling and the metal slicing. Cuts should always have pressure put on them to stop the bleeding and where possible be kept clean to avoid infection. If there is something large stuck in a wound, do not try to remove it, or move the injured party as this could cause more damage and needs to be assessed by the emergency workers.
Of course, these are rare and if you drive carefully and safely, with due concentration, you reduce your risk of a collision and therefore your risk of these types of injury. Everyone should drive with safety on their mind, and a knowledge of what to do if things ever do go wrong, in order to reduce devastation.
