Automobile accidents may cause injuries that cannot be seen at first glance. Along the highways and streets, it is the norm to see devastating accidents. This blog will be about the most common injuries caused by automobile accidents.
How ProCare assists post collision:
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2016, there were about 395,785 car accidents in Florida. As a result of those accidents, there were 254,155 injuries. This is where physicians such as those at ProCare Health and Rehab Centers can help.
If time permits, ProCare can direct you to use your insurance responsibly. One hospital visit could easily deplete your funds. ProCare can direct you to a safe, knowledgeable physician to treat your injuries.
Variations of automobile accidents:
The human body is complex but fragile. Depending on the type of accident, injuries can differ greatly. The severity of the collision can be as varied as the individual circumstances of each collision.
Minor injuries may heal without any medical attention. On the other hand, worse injuries can permanently leave victims with physical disabilities. Let’s discuss the factors that can affect the type of injuries incurred from automobile accidents.
The first factor we would like to discuss is seatbelts. Whether or not the passengers in the car were wearing seat belts can have a life or death effect. If the crash was not fatal to the passenger not wearing a seat belt, it may prove to be fatal to other passengers in the car.
Passengers not wearing seatbelts may injure others because their unfastened body imposes a danger. Nonetheless, if you have survived a car accident without wearing a seatbelt, your injuries may not be identical to those that did wear a seatbelt.
The next factor to be discussed is the direction of which the car was hit. Was the car hit from behind, the front, or the side? If your body was facing a different direction during the accident this will affect the injury.
Speed is a major factor when comparing automobile accidents statistics. A low-speed collision may not be comparable to the damage from a high-speed crash. And of course, the last factor we will discuss is the vehicle’s airbags.
It is not new information that airbags save lives, but they also can cause some injuries. Of course, airbags may also have recalls, and if left unattended to, they can cause a major threat. Stay up to date with recalls regarding your vehicles.
Impact injuries versus penetrating injuries:
When speaking of injuries caused by car accidents, there are two broad categories: impact injuries and penetrating injuries. It is important to understand both types of injuries in order to recognize symptoms you may have.
By definition, an impact injury is the damage caused by the collision of a body with a moving or stationary object. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains, “the extent of the injury depends upon the velocity, distance travelled, duration of impact, direction of impact, and absorption of stresses by the body or objects struck.”
Head injuries may deform the skull or soft tissue under the area of impact. Often times, people lose consciousness, loss of eye reflex, drop in blood pressure, or loss of breath. The nose, bridge between the eye, and chin are the facial features most susceptible to damage.
Cheekbones and foreheads are proven to be more resistant to injury. If vertebrae are compressed, stretched, or twisted, it can cause neck injuries. Most neck injuries are due to whiplash. The chest and abdomen are areas vulnerable to impact injuries as well.
Penetrating injuries are those where skin is broken or pierced. In car accidents, shattered glass may cut open the skin causing blood loss. Loose objects inside the car may also cause penetrating injuries.
Soft tissue injuries:
A soft tissue injury is said to be damage to the body’s connective tissues. These tissues are muscles, ligaments, and tendons. An example of soft tissue damage, a common automobile accident injury, is referred to as whiplash.
The neck muscles and ligaments are stretched unexpectedly during the crash leaving many people in pain. This area may also affect lower and mid-back pain. The impact forces against the spine cause more serious back issues.
Any loose objects, known as projectiles, in cars during collisions become a threat to anyone in the car. Projectiles may be objects you normally use in your car such as mugs, cell phones, or books. Airbags may also scrape or cut people in car accidents, but they do more good than harm.
Injuries to arms and legs:
The severity of injury depends on the location of the injury. Because legs and arms are not restrained, they are likely to be scraped, cut, or fractured. Side impacts may cause legs to be hit on impact.
The side impact force may cause hip, back, or leg injuries. Knees may also be injured in smaller cars because of the proximity to the dashboard or seats in front of them.
Please remember that not all injuries are apparent immediately after an automobile accident. Depending on the injury, it may take weeks to reveal symptoms. So if you are in a car accident, contact ProCare Health and Rehab Centers to find reputable physicians for your injuries.
Thank you for reading this week’s blog. Stop by next week for more information regarding car accident injuries. Stay safe during Hurricane Florence!
Staff Writer
