There are many reasons why you never want to be involved in a car accident, including the fact that you could suffer a serious injury that alters your health for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try to avoid trouble on the road, another driver could make a mistake that involves you in a crash.
When you understand the many types of car accident injuries, it may be easier to know which steps to take immediately following an incident. Here are some of the more common injuries:
- Head injuries. These can range from mild concussions to bleeding on the brain. Since the most serious head injuries can cause death, you can’t wait to receive treatment. Even if you only bumped your head and think you’ll be okay, you still need to receive medical treatment.
- Neck and back injuries. There are minor neck and back injuries, as well as those that are much more serious. One common example of this type of injury is whiplash. This frequently occurs when your vehicle is struck from behind.
- Chest injuries. In the event of a serious impact, a chest injury could result. From collapsed lungs to broken ribs, these injuries are nothing to take lightly.
- Fractures. Almost every bone in your body is susceptible to breaking in an accident. This includes those of the arms, hands, feet and legs.
- Burns and abrasions. Many people don’t think about burns and abrasions occurring in car accidents, but these are extremely common — as well as very dangerous.
Since you never know what will happen in a motor vehicle accident, you always need to exercise extreme caution. This means calling 911, receiving medical treatment and following through with the treatment protocol your doctor prescribes for you.
Once you are stable and feeling better about your ability to recover, you can learn more about the cause of the accident and what you can do to protect your legal rights. You may discover that the other driver was responsible for the crash, putting you in position to try to hold him or her accountable. Sometimes multiple drivers or entities bear partial responsibility for collisions, which can raise some impactful issues related to recovery.