Injuries are common after motor vehicle accidents. Whether a failure to yield right of way or a head-on collision causes a car accident, victims rarely leave the scene of an accident unscathed. If you were injured in a motor vehicle crash that was caused by another person’s negligence, you may receive financial compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and other financial losses.
An experienced Decatur auto accident attorney at Marks Law Group can help you recover the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free initial consultation, call our personal injury law firm today at (678) 251-9309, or chat with us online to learn how we can help.
What are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?
When you’re injured in an automobile accident, you need to work with an experienced auto accident injury lawyer to build a personal injury claim for recovery. The compensation awarded compensates you for your bodily injuries and restores your life to normal. Here are the most common types of car accident injuries in Decatur, GA and what you can do to avoid them.
Neck Injuries and Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries and is the common name for ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries. When you’re involved in a car crash, often, your body moves faster than you would ever move on your own. This trauma can strain your muscles and other soft tissues without breaking bones. Whiplash is very painful, and it takes time to heal. Low speeds, including 20 mph, can cause whiplash, with or without a seatbelt. Also, severe cervical dislocation and disk injury can result from car accidents.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, which occur when the brain is damaged by a piercing injury or a blow to the head. Every year, nearly 50,000 people die from TBI and another 90,000 suffer long-term disability.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
The impact of a car accident and force on the body can cause spinal cord injuries, which can lead to long-term disability. Also, spinal cord injuries can cause partial or total paralysis below the level of the injury.
Back Injuries
The human body and spine aren’t meant to withstand heavy impact, and back injuries are common after car accidents. Back injuries may not be visible immediately after a car crash. The disability and pain from a serious back injury are severe and long-lasting.
Burns
If a car catches fire after a collision or if your skin comes into contact with hot surfaces, fluids, steam, or chemicals, you may suffer burns. Severe burns may be treated through skin grafting and surgery.
Internal Injuries
When a car crash forces the body into an object or the body is hit by flying debris, this can cause damage to internal organs. Internal bleeding from internal injuries requires emergency medical care.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Broken ribs, wrists, arms, legs, and ankles are common in motor vehicle accidents. Some motor vehicle accident victims suffer from a broken pelvis. Severity ranges from compound fractures that require surgery to simple breaks that require a cast.
Disfiguring Scars and Facial Injuries
In a car crash, broken glass or impact with a steering wheel, windshield, dash, airbag, side window, car seat, or any hard surface often causes facial injuries. Disfigurement from facial injuries could leave a car accident victim with a lasting scar. Also, this type of injury may require surgical correction.
Amputation and Limb Loss
Following a car crash, a leg, finger, arm, toe, or other appendages can be damaged severely to require surgical amputation. This type of car crash injury can have permanent traumatic effects on the victim.
Knee Injuries
In a car accident, knees can be injured by smashing into any part of the vehicle. Wounds range from multiple fractures to bruises. The cartilage in the knee or the meniscus can tear if your knee twists or turns abruptly in a car crash.
Ankle and Foot Injuries
Feet, ankle, and toe sprains, strains, and fractures are common injuries in car accidents. Als, toes, and feet can be severed in a motor vehicle collision.
Shoulder Injuries
These injuries can occur from absorbing force after hitting the hands against the dashboard or steering wheel in a crash. Here, the shoulder locks in position and receives too much force from the impact of the accident.
Hand and Wrist Injuries
Broken wrists or distal radius fractures are common car accident injuries. Depending on the severity of the fracture, you may require surgery after suffering this type of injury.
Bruises, Lacerations, and Road Rash
Lacerations are caused by torn sheet metal, broken glass, or flying objects. Also, the impact of your body against any object, or vice versa, may cause bruises. Friction from skidding or being dragged on concrete or pavement can cause road rash, which is a type of abrasion.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Not all motor vehicle crash injuries are physical. You may suffer from emotional and mental injuries after a car crash. Following a car wreck, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder, and things that used to be routine may become taxing and even impossible. With the help of our experienced car accident attorneys, you may recover financial compensation for your mental health treatment and emotional suffering after a car accident.
Other Psychological Pain, Including Guilt
Apart from post-traumatic stress disorder, you may suffer from other psychological injuries following a car accident. You may experience a ton of guilt and you may have flashbacks. These kinds of mental trauma are actual injuries that can occur after a car accident. It’s crucial to get the help that you need for your mental distress and for your physical injuries.
What Steps Should I Take After a Motor Vehicle Accident Injury in Decatur, GA?
Following a car crash, you must stay calm and do the following things:
- Make sure you’re safe, then check on others involved in the crash to ensure they’re safe,
- Check for bodily injuries,
- Call 911 and report the accident,
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible,
- Collect evidence and contact information if possible, this includes photographs and contact information from witnesses and other drivers involved in the accident,
- Contact your insurer, and
- Contact an auto accident attorney right away.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me After a Car Accident?
If you’ve sustained injuries in a motor vehicle collision, the best way to get the financial compensation you need to make a full recovery is by hiring an experienced attorney.
An auto accident lawyer can help you document your personal injuries and seek the financial compensation that can help you get the medical care that you need. Being involved in a car accident isn’t easy. Your car accident lawyer can evaluate your personal injury case and take the necessary steps to respond in the best way possible.
Further, in Georgia, there’s a time limit for filing a car accident claim, so it's crucial that you meet with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to evaluate your case. For a free case review, contact our Decatur, Georgia law office today at (678) 251-9309.