9 Common Injuries From Car Accidents

9 Common Injuries From Car Accidents

Understanding what injuries are often sustained after a car accident can help you protect your health and avoid overlooking problems that could follow you long after the collision.

Key Takeaways

• Car accidents can cause a wide range of injuries, from soft tissue damage and broken bones to internal trauma, brain injuries, and emotional distress.
• Pain, dizziness, stiffness, bruising or other symptoms that show up hours or days after a crash should never be ignored.
• If you were injured in a crash, you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost income and property damage.

A car crash can leave you feeling shaken and overwhelmed. In the aftermath, it may be hard to tell whether what you’re experiencing is stress from the collision or something that needs medical attention. Learning about common injuries from car accidents can give you a clearer sense of what to watch for, what you shouldn’t ignore, and how to protect your health.

What Are the Most Common Injuries From Car Accidents?

Car accident injuries can look very different from one crash to the next. Some may heal fairly quickly, while others can affect your health and daily life for a long time.

1. Whiplash and Other Soft Tissue Injuries

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries after a car accident. It happens when your head snaps backward and forward very quickly, usually in a rear-end crash. That sudden motion can stretch or tear muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck. Doctors often call these “soft tissue injuries.”

Common soft tissue injuries from car accidents include:

• Whiplash in your neck
• Neck strain from sudden movement
• Upper back strain from the force of impact
• Lower back strain from twisting or bracing
• Shoulder sprain from the seat belt locking your body in place
• Chest wall strain from pressure against the seat belt

These injuries may sound minor, but they can cause real problems. You may deal with pain, stiffness, headaches, muscle spasms, dizziness or numbness for weeks or even months.

2. Bruises

Car accident bruises are very common. For example, you might have a bruise on your shoulder from being jostled around and hitting the door. Or you might bruise your forehead from hitting the airbag.

Large bruises can be very painful, but they also may be an indication that you have a serious injury. For example, a dark bruise across the lower stomach could be a warning sign of a bowel injury or internal bleeding in the abdomen. Bruising across the chest, especially when it comes with pain while breathing, may go along with a rib fracture or a bruised lung.

3. Cuts and Road Rash

Cuts and road rash are common after a car accident because your body can hit broken glass, rough metal, loose debris or the road itself. A small cut on your face may only need basic care, while a deep cut on your hand or forearm may damage nerves, tendons or muscle.

• Facial cuts from broken windows or windshield glass
• Scalp cuts from hitting the window, roofline or a hard edge inside the car
• Road rash on the arms, legs or shoulders after being thrown from a motorcycle or bike
• Deep lacerations that may need stitches or staples
• Skin abrasions with embedded debris like glass, dirt or gravel

Cuts and road rash are not always as minor as they seem. A deep cut across your palm, for example, may affect how well you can grip or bend your fingers. Road rash can also be painful, slow to heal and more likely to get infected if dirt or glass is trapped in the skin.

4. Broken Bones

Broken bones are another common car wreck injury. Some fractures are simple and heal with time, while others are serious enough to need surgery right away. Pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists are at greater risk of breaking bones because they don’t have the same protection as someone inside a vehicle.

• Examples of fractures linked to car accidents include:
• Rib fractures from the seat belt or steering wheel
• Collarbone fractures from the shoulder belt pressure
• Arm fractures from bracing or side impact
• Wrist fractures from trying to catch yourself during impact
• Leg fractures from dashboard or door impact
• Pelvic fractures in strong side-impact crashes
• Facial fractures from striking the interior of the car

Breaking a bone can limit your movement, keep you out of work and lead to long recovery times. If you’re older, fractures can even be life-threatening.

5. Burn Injuries

Burns are one of the most serious car accident injuries and are often due to:

• Flame burns from a vehicle fire
• Heat burns from hot metal, steam or fluids
• Chemical burns from battery acid or leaking chemicals
• Smoke inhalation injuries from breathing hot smoke or fumes
• Airbag burns on your hands, face or forearms
• Friction burns from the seat belt or roadway contact
• Second-degree burns that damage deeper skin layers
• Third-degree burns that destroy skin and tissue

Burn injuries are extremely painful and require long-term treatment. You may need regular wound care, skin grafts, breathing support or treatment at a burn center. Even when the burned area is not large, the injury can still lead to infection, scarring, loss of motion and emotional trauma.

6. Internal Injuries

Internal injuries are one of the most dangerous car accident injuries because they may not be obvious right away. You might walk away from a crash thinking you are OK, only to find out hours later that you have internal bleeding or organ damage.

Common internal injuries include:

• Internal bleeding in your chest or abdomen
• Liver lacerations from blunt force to the upper abdomen
• Spleen injuries from side or front impact
• Kidney injuries from force to the side of the body
• Collapsed lung from broken ribs or chest trauma
• Lung bruising from your chest hitting the restraint system
• Bowel tears from the force of the seat belt across the stomach
• Aortic injury from severe high-speed impact

If you have pain, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath or swelling after a crash, you should go to the emergency room right away.

7. Back and Spinal Injuries

Back injuries are very common after a car accident and often include:

• Lower back strain from twisting, bracing or force through the seat
• Upper back strain from the sudden movement of the torso
• Herniated disc when a disc presses on a nearby nerve
• Compression fracture in the spine from a strong downward force
• Burst fracture when a vertebra breaks apart under pressure
• Facet joint injury in the small joints of the spine
• Sciatic nerve irritation causing pain down the leg
• Spinal cord injury that may cause numbness, weakness or paralysis

Some back injuries don’t show up until a few days or weeks after your car accident. You may feel sore right after the crash but not realize you have a disc problem or nerve compression until the inflammation gets worse.

Severe spinal injuries can change every part of your life, impacting walking, working, sleeping and basic daily movement. Even a back injury that seems simple at first can lead to chronic pain if it’s not diagnosed and treated early.

8. Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

A traumatic brain injury can happen when your head strikes the window, steering wheel, headrest or another part of the vehicle. But it can also happen without a direct hit if your head snaps hard enough during the crash.

Common brain injuries after a crash include:

• Concussions
• Brain bruising
• Bleeding around the brain
• Skull fractures
• Memory problems tied to a head injury
• Balance and dizziness problems after a concussion
• Sensitivity to light or sound

Even a mild TBI can seriously affect your concentration, memory, mood, sleep and ability to work or go to school. Warning signs can include headache, confusion, nausea, blurred vision, trouble remembering the crash or unusual tiredness. Because your symptoms may get worse over time, you should get medical attention if you suspect you have a head injury.

9. Psychological Injuries

Not every serious car accident injury is visible on an X-ray. A crash can also leave lasting emotional and mental health effects, including:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety about driving or riding in cars
• Depression after the crash
• Panic attacks
• Sleep problems or nightmares
• Mood changes or irritability
• Trouble concentrating

Psychological injuries are real, and they can affect your work, family life and basic day-to-day activities.

What Damages Can You Recover If You’re Injured in a Car Accident?

After a car accident caused by someone’s negligence, filing a claim or lawsuit can help you recover money for the losses you suffered. Depending on your case, that may include:

• Medical Expenses: You may be able to recover the cost of emergency care, hospital bills, follow-up visits, prescriptions, surgery, physical therapy and medical equipment.
• Lost Income: If your injuries keep you from working, you may be able to recover the income you lost while healing. If the crash leaves you with a lasting injury that affects your ability to work in the future, you may also be able to claim lost earning capacity.
• Property Damage: If another driver caused the crash, you may be able to recover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle and any other property damaged in the accident.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: You may also recover other costs tied to the accident, such as transportation to medical appointments, childcare or help around the house while you heal.
• Pain and Suffering: Not every loss comes with a bill. You may also be able to recover compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, mental anguish and other ways the accident has affected your daily life.

Some losses, like medical bills and missed paychecks, are usually easier to calculate because they come with records and receipts. Others, like pain and suffering, are harder to measure and prove. That’s one reason many people choose to work with a personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you understand what your case may be worth, determine whether negligence may be a factor in your claim, and make sure you’re not overlooking any damages.

Sargon Law Group Can Help With Your Car Accident Injury Claim

If you’re injured in a car accident, you may have the right to file a personal injury claim. Sargon Law Group helps people across Arizona, California and Colorado pursue the compensation they deserve. You’ll work directly with your attorney, get answers when you need them and pay nothing unless our firm recovers compensation for you.

With decades of injury, insurance and litigation experience, Sargon Law Group knows how to protect your rights and build a strong case. Need a trusted personal injury attorney today? Request a free consultation.