You could suffer minor or highly severe injuries when you are involved in a car accident. Some injuries could even be fatal. Suffering severe injuries in an accident could lead to hefty medical bills and change your life. For example, injuries can prevent you from participating in the activities you used to, including going to work. Even seemingly minor injuries could alter your life in the short term. If you sustain injuries in an accident, whether minor or severe injuries, you should seek the help of an attorney to help you seek the compensation you deserve.

Severe Injuries In A Vehicle Accident

Some of the severe injuries you can sustain in a vehicle accident include the following:

  • Head injuries
  • Back injuries
  • Neck injuries
  • Dismemberment
  • Internal Injuries
  • Severe cuts and lacerations

The injuries above could vary in severity; they have a spectrum of severity. For example, while some back injuries are relatively minor, others are catastrophic and could leave you paralyzed.

Head Injuries

Head injuries are serious injuries you can incur in a car accident. Most head injuries are detrimental, often causing death. Common examples of head injuries are fractured skulls, concussions, brain contusions, traumatic brain injuries, abbreviated as TBI, and brain penetrations. A vehicle collision could result in multiple brain injuries, especially if intense force is involved. The injuries are commonly referred to as coup-contrecoup brain injuries. They are characterized by the following:

  • An injury on the part of your head that came into contact with the outside force.
  • Another injury on the inner side of the brain when the accident impacts pushes it against the inside of your skull.

The most typical head injury in a vehicle accident is a concussion. You can sustain a concussion when your brain hits the inside of your skull due to the force of the impact. This force of the impact could lead to many medical conditions like memory loss, brain damage, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, dizziness, fatigue, and confusion.

The extent of these symptoms could vary greatly. Sometimes, you will only experience the symptoms for a few days, while in other cases, the symptoms could persist for years. A concussion could also cause a bruise on your brain, commonly known as a brain contusion. A brain contusion can cause more serious medical conditions, including bleeding in the brain and blood clots.

Other injuries resulting from a vehicle accident could also cause brain injury or damage. These brain injuries are referred to as acquired brain injuries or secondary brain injuries. For example, if you sustain a significant lung injury in an accident, you could suffer a subsequent lack of oxygen, causing brain damage.

Back Injuries

Back injuries are among the most severe injuries you can sustain in a vehicle accident. If you suffer a spinal cord injury, nerve damage could occur, leaving you paralyzed. In some cases, back injuries could be fatal.

Some of the typical severe back injuries that you can sustain in an accident include the following:

  • Spondylolisthesis is characterized by displaced vertebrae.
  • Bulging or herniated discs
  • Fractured vertebrae in your spinal cord
  • Injuries to the facet joints that lie between the spinal bones.
  • Other types of damage to your spinal discs

The symptoms outlined above could lead to other severe medical conditions like:

  • Pinched nerves or nerve damage
  • Chronic pain
  • Lost strength
  • Loss of motion or movement
  • Degenerative spinal disorders
  • Paralysis
  • Sciatica

Neck Injuries

Since neck and back injuries involve the spinal cord, they share similar characteristics. In most cases, neck injuries accompany brain injuries since the impact that causes neck injury is also likely to cause a concussion.

Some of the common severe neck injuries that you could sustain in an accident include the following:

  • Dislocated vertebrae
  • Herniated or slipped disc.
  • Pinched nerves or other types of nerve damage
  • Strains, sprains, or torn neck muscles
  • A broken neck, also known as a fractured cervical spine.
  • Injury or damage to your facet joints in the neck

Suffering any of the above injuries could cause devastating medical conditions like:

  • Loss of movement
  • Recurring and severe neck pain

Dismemberment

Dismemberment is among the most severe and traumatizing injuries you can sustain in a vehicle accident. Losing a part of your body is a life-altering experience. Some of the possible dismemberments include losing you:

  • Arm
  • Hand
  • Finger
  • Leg
  • Foot
  • Toes

Dismemberment does not have to happen during the crash. Other injuries sustained during the accident could lead to amputation later on. A lost limb isn't necessarily a huge injury. However, it could lead to other conditions like:

  • Loss of blood
  • Emotional distress
  • Nerve damage
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder, abbreviated as PTSD.
  • Phantom pain

Internal Injuries

You could suffer severe internal injuries in a vehicle accident. Usually, internal injuries result from the tension of the seatbelt against your body or the force of impact. You could suffer a wide range of internal injuries in a vehicle accident, including:

  • Internal bleeding
  • Broken limbs
  • Collapsed lungs.
  • Organ damage
  • Severe whiplash

While some internal injuries are life-threatening, you are not likely to notice them immediately after the accident. Most internal injuries are discovered in the emergency room. However, delayed medical care could make the injuries fatal. 

Severe Cuts And Lacerations

Severe cuts and lacerations are also severe injuries you can sustain in a vehicle accident. A motor vehicle is made of metal and plastic components. The accident's impact could break these components, and the sharp pieces could pierce or cut your body. Lacerations could be life-threatening, given the loss of blood that accompanies them. If you do not seek immediate medical attention, cuts and lacerations could be fatal.

Even if you seek immediate treatment for cuts and lacerations, the injuries could leave you with scars or disfigurement. Scarring and disfigurement could lead to PTSD, emotional distress, and painful thoughts/reminders of the traumatic accident. The deep cuts you sustain in an accident could cause a buildup of scar tissue leading to:

  • Lost movement
  • Pain
  • Loss of strength
  • Decreased range of motion

Minor Injuries In A Vehicle Accident

You could also sustain minor injuries in a vehicle accident. In the short term, minor injuries can be painful and devastating. However, minor injuries are not permanent, life-threatening, or disabling long-term. Some of the typical minor injuries you can sustain in a car accident are:

  • Broken bones
  • Soft tissue injuries

You should note that just because you have suffered a minor injury does not mean that you should overlook the injury or fail to seek medical treatment. Even a minor injury can be painful and ruin your life. Therefore, in addition to seeking medical treatment, you should seek compensation for the injuries.

Broken Points

Most people suffer broken bones in a car accident. Some bones that tend to break in a motor vehicle accident include legs, arms, wrist, pelvis, finger, foot, and facial bones like the chin and nose. Usually, facial bones break due to the impact of the steering wheel or airbag.

A broken bone could lead to other medical conditions. For example, a broken rib bone could pierce your internal organs. In addition, even if you suffer a minor broken bone, it could still take many months to recover, leading to hefty medical bills.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are also common in car accidents. Some of the common examples of soft tissue injuries are:

  • Whiplash injuries
  • Contusions and bruises
  • Torn or strained ligaments
  • Strained or torn tendons
  • Torn or pulled muscles.

Soft tissue injuries can range from minor to severe. For example, if you suffer a chest injury, the pain could last a few days or many months, depending on the extent of the injuries.

Closed Head Injuries

Closed head injuries are traumatic brain injuries and are common soft tissue injuries in vehicle accidents. These injuries occur when your brain moves into the skull, suffering an injury. For example, you could suffer these injuries if your head strikes the airbag or the steering wheel. A closed head injury is usually diagnosed through CT scans.

Sprains

You could experience a sudden jolt in a car accident, stretching the ligaments that connect your bones. Whiplash is the most common sprain in a car accident. In addition, you could experience bruising, pain, swelling, and a limited range of motion around the injury site. When diagnosing a sprain, your doctor will physically examine the affected area and use an x-ray to rule out broken bones.

Whiplash

One of the most prevalent soft tissue injuries associated with accidents is whiplash. Whiplash, also known as a neck strain or sprain, is a hyper-extension injury that arises from your head rushing forward and then smashing backward following a collision.

The neck's muscles, ligaments, and tendons can suffer serious harm from a whiplash injury. "Whiplash-associated disorders" is a common medical term for the various side effects experienced following a whiplash injury.

The signs of whiplash can be felt in the head, arms, and shoulders, in addition to severe neck pain and stiffness. The other side effects of whiplash include intense head ches and severe stomach discomfort.

Bruises/Contusions

"Contusion" refers to a collection of damaged blood vessels beneath the skin's surface. Blunt trauma leads to contusions. The main reason for contusions after motor accidents is slamming on the dashboard, steering wheel, or side window. 

The most noticeable signs of contusions are the skin turning purple, blue, or green and being sore to the touch. Typically, contusions are a typical sign of a more severe injury, like a sprain. However, a diagnosis of contusions is necessary to prevent further complications.

Rotator Cuff Tears

Your rotator cuff is a network of tendons, muscles, and other soft tissue that guards your shoulder joint. The impact force after an automobile collision may partially or entirely tear some soft tissue lining the joint, resulting in excruciating pain and stiffness. This injury is common during rear-end incidents when you are more likely to hold the steering wheel firmly as you prepare for impact.

Hernia

A hernia is one of the less prevalent vehicle accident injuries that occur when the trauma of the accident degrades the soft tissue that holds the organs in place. When the displaced organ bulges through the soft tissue surrounding it, it causes a hernia. For example, when the muscles surrounding the stomach are injured, a hernia can form in the abdomen.

Pinched Or Compressed Nerves

Pinched or compressed nerves arise when the soft tissues apply pressure around a nerve ending, causing pain, numbness, or tingling. Pinched or compressed nerves are prevalent in car accident injuries, including strained muscles or sprained ligaments. In these cases, the body produces excessive inflammation, putting strain on delicate nerves.

The Common Symptoms Of Soft Tissue Injuries

Many soft tissue injuries exhibit similar symptoms. Recognizing the symptoms of soft tissue injuries is crucial to ensure that you seek timely treatment. The symptoms of soft tissue injuries include the following:

  • Knots or lumps at the injury site
  • Reduce range of motion
  • Instability in joints
  • Swelling
  • Muscle spasms
  • Muscle weakness or inability to hold weights.
  • Aches and pains
  • Visible marks like bruises and cuts

Seeking Treatment For Soft Tissue Injuries

Even if you believe you have not been injured, you should always seek medical care following a car accident. Numerous soft tissue injuries, including whiplash, result in delayed pain symptoms that will not manifest during the accident. If you wait until you feel pain, you will have overextended your already severed soft tissues, which can aggravate the initial injury.

Soft tissue injuries are typically treated in three stages:

A healthcare professional will perform a physical examination to identify your pain symptoms. The doctor could also order medical diagnostic imaging, like CT scans or x-rays.

Medical Treatment — serious soft tissue injuries could necessitate surgical repair; however, most soft tissue injuries are treated with anti-inflammatory prescription drugs.

Continued care — after the soft tissue injury has healed, you could need to go through several rounds of physiotherapy or chiropractic care to restore strength to the tissue.

Seeking Compensation After A Vehicle Accident

If you suffer injuries in a car accident, you may be able to recover a variety of damages in a personal injury lawsuit. Medical expenses are the most common, but you can also sue for lost wages or lost employment, pain and suffering, loss of intimacy (also known as "loss of consortium"), and punitive damages.

Medical Costs

Any medical costs incurred because of injuries sustained in an accident are compensable. This could include:

  • Expenses for doctor visits, diagnosis, evaluations, and hospitalization
  • Prescription drugs
  • Rehabilitation or physiotherapy
  • Fees for ambulances
  • Home-based services
  • Permanent incapacity

Seeing a physician as soon as possible after your car accident is critical. If you wait too long, it will seem like your injuries were not severe and that you did not require treatment. The insurance company could use this against you.

Legally, pain and suffering are defined as physical or mental distress for which compensation can be sought in a lawsuit. These damages are determined by the type of injury, the severity of the pain, and the prognosis for future pain caused by the injury.  The mental and emotional damage caused by accident, like anxiety or stress, could also be considered pain and suffering. Therefore, you could include pain, suffering, and the loss of enjoyment of life in your claim.

Lost Wages

Many vehicle accident injuries make you miss work while you receive treatment. This could be stressful because you are missing income, yet you could have piling medical bills or other costs. Fortunately, you can also seek compensation for lost wages in a car accident.

Lost wages include any opportunities for career advancement or bonuses you could have received if you had not been out of work due to the accident. You could also be eligible to seek loss of earning capacity if your injuries hinder you from earning the same amount of money in the future as you previously did. 

Loss Of Consortium

 If you are currently in a relationship or married, an injury can deprive you and your spouse of the capacity to express affection, like sexual activity, often referred to as a "loss of consortium" in legal terms. Unlike other damages, the uninjured spouse can sue for loss of intimacy, companionship, and consortium. However, if you do not recover damages from your injuries, you will not be able to recover this damage. 

If a driver passes away because of the injuries, surviving relatives could seek compensation for loss of companionship. In this case, the jury considers the nature of the deceased person's relationship with the plaintiff(s), the previous living arrangements, and the overall impact of the deceased's death on the surviving relatives.

Punitive Damages

The court could allow for punitive damages if there is evidence of the at-fault driver's intentional misconduct or gross negligence. The damages seek to punish the perpetrator for their actions. The punitive damages you can access in a personal injury lawsuit are usually capped. 

Find a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Near Me

You do not have to file a claim on your own. Instead of focusing on your pursuit of fair compensation, you can concentrate on your recovery while we handle the rest. Our injury attorneys at The LA Personal Injury Law Firm have handled even the most complex lawsuits. We are ready to help you. Contact us at 310-935-0089 to speak to one of our attorneys.