What Are Common Rear-End Collision Injuries?
Just as there are specific types of car accidents, there are also specific types of car accident injuries. If you were recently involved in a rear-end collision, any aches and pains you experienced later could be the result of that incident. Knowing what to tie to the accident and what to link to medical or health conditions may help you better understand when you may have a legal case on your hands.
Spinal Fractures
Did your rear-end collision happen at a high speed? If so, you may have sustained a spinal fracture. This injury occurs when the body experiences intense jostling during the accident, which can lead to spinal vertebrae breaks such as compression fractures. Besides fractures, the spine can experience various stress injuries.
Whiplash
One of the more common car accident injuries, whiplash injuries may result from rapid neck and head movement. The neck’s soft tissues endure damage, along with the upper back, resulting in mild to severe injuries.
Airbag Injuries
Rear-end collisions strong enough to activate the airbag may also turn into airbag injuries. An airbag’s inflating power can burn a person’s scalp or face and even break the nose or rib bones.
Spinal Cord Paralysis
Other than spinal fractures, rear-end car accidents may cause spinal cord paralysis. The impact may reach parts of the brain or spinal discs, which can trigger degrees of paralysis.
Herniated Discs
Cushioning spinal discs may endure damage, moving them out of place. Indicators include ranging degrees of numbness, tingling, back pain, and paralysis. With herniation, patients must pay close attention to the signs, because herniated disc symptoms may go misdiagnosed or delayed as a result of shock. Another key fact of disc herniation is that it may impact multiple areas of the body, including the knees, legs, or feet.
Concussion
When car accident forces cause head trauma in victims, a concussion may result. This injury typically happens when the brain strikes the inside of the skull, which may bruise and compress tissue.
Concussions are particularly risky after an accident because symptoms can take hours or even days to surface. Anyone involved in a crash should stay alert for signs like nausea, disorientation, and lack of coordination. Additional symptoms may include dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or sound, and trouble focusing. If any of these arise, seeking medical care promptly is essential.
Soft Tissue Damage
Violent jolts may trigger trauma to the soft tissues of the body. Even if a rear-end collision occurs at low speed, it may cause head trauma such as mobility damage and inflammation. Common signs of soft tissue damage include neck pain, headaches, impaired vision, dizziness, and pain between the shoulder blades.
Like with concussions, one must be vigilant for signs of soft tissue damage. Adrenaline often floods the body during shocking events such as car accidents, which may mask pains and aches long after the incident. It is not uncommon for soft tissue damage to go unnoticed for weeks following an accident. No matter when the person notices indications of damage, receiving medical treatment is vital.
Brain Injury
If a person was not wearing a seatbelt when a car accident happens, the resulting force may throw the individual around inside the vehicle against the steering wheel, windshield, or dashboard. This can lead to brain injuries, which require immediate medical attention. Common indications of brain injury include trouble sleeping, nausea, issues with speech, loss of consciousness, and disorientation. With brain injuries, the longer symptoms go unnoticed and untreated, the more expensive necessary treatment can become.
Broken Bones
Broken bones may heal over time, but they need careful monitoring after rear-end collisions. These accidents often cause compound fractures, which can bring complications like internal injuries or infections. If not properly treated, bones might fuse incorrectly, leading to permanent deformities or chronic pain. Even with correct healing, there’s a risk of reduced function in the affected area.
Facial Disfigurement
In a rear-end collision, the force of impact can be intense enough to throw a person against parts of the vehicle, causing facial injuries that sometimes require extensive surgery and ongoing treatment. Common injuries include a broken jaw, fractured cheekbone or nose, and even retinal detachment. Such trauma can lead to lasting disfigurement and other serious medical complications.
Arm and Wrist Injuries
Drivers often have their hands on the steering wheel during auto accidents, which may lead to serious wrist, arm, and hand injuries. Common examples of wrist and arm injuries in car crashes include dislocated shoulders and sprained or broken wrists.
Seat Belt Injuries
Though seatbelts were designed to prevent and lessen injury impact, that same design may cause injuries. Rear-end auto collision impact may tighten a seatbelt around a person’s body to keep the individual in the seat. The resulting forward motion could slice into the body or skin, or bruise or lacerate the skin.
The Importance of Immediate Medical Attention
No matter what type of injuries you endure as a result of a rear-end car accident, you must seek immediate medical attention. Brushing your symptoms off could lead to delayed treatment, which may result in additional time off work to recover. This in turn means you may go longer without receiving a stable income.
Another reason to take immediate action for any degree of discomfort experienced in the aftermath of an accident is that time is of the essence with legal matters. You do not want to risk passing the statute of limitations, which limits how much time you have to take legal action. Even if your accident did not happen recently, you may still have time to file a lawsuit.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer
Is there a chance you suffered damage from a rear-end collision? Do not risk paying for someone else’s negligence on the road; consult with a legal advocate to protect your rights and health.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an attorney in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations. Contact Aaron at [email protected] for article suggestions, collaborations, or inquiries.
