It is important to know what injuries to look for after a car accident. You may not think your injuries are serious, but you may very well be wrong. Many people talk about injuries as if each one is independent of the others. The fact is that one injury often affects the body at least one place elsewhere—and often in several places. I don’t want to scare you, but I do want to urge you to take your accident seriously and to seek medical attention to have a proper diagnosis.
When it comes to car accidents and other motor vehicle accidents, every body part is prone to injury:
Head and Brain
Head and brain injuries are extremely common but hard to see. Victims of car crashes often suffer blows to the head from the dash, the steering wheel, the side of the car, or the headrest. Severe blows can cause concussions. Take a look at the Mayo Clinic’s list of signs and symptoms of a concussion, and contact a doctor immediately if you think you may be at risk. Head injuries can be largely connected to neck and back injuries as well.
Neck, Spinal Cord, and Back
The neck, spinal cord, and back are all interconnected, and injuries to one often affect the other two. In fact, most injuries in the body affect the rest of the body—nothing is independent of the whole. For instance, head injuries often involve some sort of injurious neck, spinal cord, and/or back movement.
These types of injuries come in all shapes and sizes, but whiplash is perhaps one of the most common neck injuries. Whiplash is due to the rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck and occurs frequently in rear-end collisions. Whiplash results in muscle, tendon, and/or ligament sprain/strain. This means they are stretched beyond their normal limits, which can cause them to tear.
Internal Organs
Internal injuries can be fatal. It is incredibly difficult—if not impossible—to recognize internal organ injuries, which is one of the reasons why getting medical attention immediately after an accident is critical.
Lower Limbs
From broken bones to lacerations, blows to the lower limbs are very common and should be addressed.
Upper Limbs
Hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders can all tense up with an incredible amount of force when you are in a car wreck. Such acute tension can affect your neck and head and cause general pain and discomfort throughout your body. The upper limbs are also prone to breaks and lacerations.
Don’t Minimize Your Pain like Most People Do
Many people minimize their pain and discomfort after an auto accident for two main reasons:
- They are afraid to go to the doctor or the hospital because they don’t have the money for it.
- They tell themselves that there is nothing seriously wrong and that the pain they are experiencing is “normal” and will go away in a few days or so.
We get it:
- Money is a huge concern for most people, especially when it comes to healthcare. However, money should never stop you from taking care of your health and well being. Especially in the case of a car accident, there is a good chance that you are entitled to compensation from another party that was involved in the crash, whether it be another driver, the car manufacturer, state departments, federal government, or what have you.
A personal injury attorney can help you to identify any and all at-fault parties and fight for the money that they should rightfully pay you for your injuries and other damages. You should never be expected to pay for your medical care costs alone after a car accident or other auto accident, so don’t let that stop you.
- We often try to minimize the bad to make a difficult situation easier, which often means minimizing our physical pain. However, wouldn’t your situation be much easier if you didn’t have to worry about paying for this whole mess all on your own? There are some times when it is not in our best interest to minimize the bad for the sake of a brighter future. And with the help of a compassionate lawyer at your side every step of the way, guiding you through the legal process of filing a personal injury claim from start to finish, the bad won’t even seem so bad.