Common Auto Accident Injuries

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3 million vehicle accidents with injuries occur annually. The severity of injuries depends on various factors, such as the type of crash, seat belts and speed. There are several types of vehicle accident injuries that a driver in New York may experience.

Soft tissue injuries

Soft tissue injuries are the most common injury from car accidents, damaging connective tissues, tendons, muscles and ligaments. Two types of soft tissue injuries are sprains, which damage the ligaments, and strains, which overextend the muscles.

Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that occurs from the neck rapidly jerking back and forth. Some common whiplash symptoms are neck pain or stiffness, dizziness, lower back pain and ear ringing.

Back injuries

A herniated disc occurs when the gel-like substances in between vertebrae gets damaged, sometimes called a slipped disc. Some common herniated disc symptoms include leg or arm tingling or numbness, leg or arm pain, and radiating pain.

Since the spinal cord is a major pathway for nerve signals, damage to it can cause severe pain. A spinal cord injury is either complete, causing full loss of sensation, or incomplete, causing partial loss of feeling.

Traumatic brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries occur from the head hitting a hard surface of the vehicle, such as a dashboard. A mild TBI, such as a concussion, may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, headaches, confusion, trouble sleeping and balance issues.

Mild TBIs do not always cause the person to lose consciousness, and if they do, it should only last a few minutes. A severe TBI could cause comas, seizures or convulsions, vision loss in one or both eyes, persistent vomiting and slurred speech.

Injured drivers and passengers may seek damages against at-fault parties, but they should get medical treatment immediately. Sometimes, adrenaline covers the symptoms for days or even weeks, so it’s vital for everyone involved to get examined by a doctor even if they don’t feel injured.