Passenger Vehicle Accident Injury
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. The injury someone suffers in a car accident depends on several factors. Once the injury happens, the victim’s recovery is related to the severity of the injury and whether the individual is treated appropriately. In some cases, despite therapy, the victim succumbs to their injuries. Let’s explore the nature of car accident injuries.
Motor Vehicle Injury Incidence
According to a 2015 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the total number of parties who were injured in a motor vehicle crash was 2,443,000. This represents a 4.5 percent increase of 105,000 injured individuals. Of this number, 2,181,000 were injured in passenger vehicles. Passenger cars showed the greatest increase over 2014 at 6.7 percent or 86,000, while the 803,000 injured in light trucks represented a 2.7 percent increase of 21,000.
Factors That Influence Injuries
The type of injury and its severity is influenced by the type of collision and other factors. The most common factors include:
- The direction of impact, such as a rear-end or head-on accident
- The speed with which the vehicles are traveling
- Whether or not the drivers and occupants were wearing safety restraints
- The presence of side and frontal air bags
- The position of the individuals in the vehicle, such as front or back seat occupants
- The safety features on the vehicles involved
Most Common Injuries in Different Types of Accidents
It is important to look at the type of injury related to the accident types. For instance, a head-on crash, which usually results in serious injuries or even death, often involves head trauma. Rear-end crashes involve cervical strain and sprain the most. However, while these injuries are frequently associated with these types of crashes, others can and do occur.
Most Frequent Car Accident Injuries
The most common passenger vehicle injuries in an accident are:
- Head trauma: Head trauma can be one of the most dangerous injuries. It can involve a closed injury or a penetrating one. It is caused by an impact of the head with a structure in the car such as the steering wheel, window or a flying object. Closed injuries involve movement of the brain within the skull while penetrating ones result from the entrance of an object through the skull. Head trauma can resolve with supportive care but can also result in long-term disability. Some head and brain injuries include concussion, subdural hematoma, contusion or bruising of the brain and skull fracture. Symptoms can include headache, vomiting, nausea and weakness in a specific part of the body. They may also involve difficulty with speech or vision, loss of consciousness and ability to swallow. Balance and both fine and gross motor skills can also be affected. Treatment depends on the type of head injury and its severity.
- Abdominal trauma: Blunt abdominal trauma is often a result of impact between the abdomen and the steering wheel. But it can also be caused by a seat belt. Seat belt syndrome occurs when the force of the impact causes the restraint to either bruise the abdominal wall, cause mesenteric injury or perforation of abdominal organs. The most common sign is bruising or abrasions from the seat belt. CT scans or MRIs do not always show the injury, and several days can go by before symptoms present themselves. They usually involve abdominal pain, tachycardia and fever. Surgery is usually needed.
- Chest trauma: This injury can result in fractured ribs or contusion or bruising of the heart. On occasion, a lung can be punctured by a broken rib. This can result in death if not treated appropriately.
- Extremity Injuries: Extremity trauma can be caused by the impact of the knees with the dashboard or the result of pressing on the brakes in order to stop. Shoulder injuries are common too and can be caused by the impact of the accident on the shoulder held by the shoulder restraint. Such injuries are rotator cuff tears, muscle sprains and strains and fractures of the shoulder joint. Surgery is often warranted, and rehabilitation therapy is needed.
- Psychological Injury: The trauma of a car accident can result in psychological injury. In some cases, the victim may refuse to ride in a motor vehicle due to the apprehension that it will happen again. This type of reaction often requires treatment by an expert.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. The types of injuries sustained in a car accident are endless and can lead to financial hardships. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you need the help of an experienced injury lawyer. You may reach out to me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for friendly and free advice. For those who would like to contact me online, we offer that too.
I’ve helped people in Sacramento and the northern part of the state for more than 35 years. I’ve assisted them with wrongful death lawsuits, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian injuries.
You may want to know more about my law practice before retaining me. My client comments are available on Avvo, Yelp and Google.
A forum of nationwide trial lawyers, called the Million Dollar Advocates, is composed of attorneys who have won $1 million or more for their clients. I was inducted as a California member.
Please feel free to look at my settlement and verdicts page to see how I resolved other cases for my clients.
Photo Attribution: By Gellinger via Pixabay
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