Car accidents can be extremely traumatic to everyone involved, and the effects of them can often be felt long after the initial impact. These effects may be physical or mental, and they may be noticeable or hidden under the surface. Even after your body has healed, more often than not, your mind can still be facing the consequences. Let’s take a look at some of the most common physical and emotional injuries that can occur as a direct result of a car accident.
Physical Injuries
With most car accidents, some degree of physical injury occurs. The severity of these injuries depends on the type of accident and the damage done, however, they can range from minor scrapes and bruises, to broken bones and traumatic head injuries.
Some of the most common kinds of injuries that occur in car accidents are known as soft tissue injuries. These include sprains, strains, and tears to soft tissues in the body like ligaments, tendons, and muscles. These can cause some pain and soreness, but typically they heal on their own or with the help of some physical therapy.
Another extremely common injury that happens in a lot of car accidents is whiplash. This is another kind of soft tissue injury that affects the neck muscles specifically, and can also cause a contusion or concussion, which is a bruise or an injury to the brain.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can also result from serious car accidents. Not only can these injuries be detrimental to the mental function of an individual, it can also put them at risk for more brain injuries in the future. This kind of injury can result in memory loss, behavioral changes, impaired language skills, loss of sensation, any level of paralysis, and more, for an extended period of time, or for the rest of their lives.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list of the lasting physical sufferings a car accident victim can experience, but is simply an example of just a sampling of ones that can occur. In many cases, multiple injuries are sustained at one time, and they can have a serious impact on the individual’s quality of life.
Mental Injuries
While physical injuries are the ones most commonly addressed, one cannot overlook the presence of many kinds of mental injuries that can occur in a car accident as well. These kinds of traumatic incidents can cause emotional distress that may not be visible to those on the outside, but is very real and very scary for the affected individual to experience. Mental injuries resulting from a car accident can be long-lasting, and may require attention from a professional such as a psychiatrist or therapist in order to adjust back to everyday life.
Examples of some emotional injuries are depression, anxiety, fear or post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of appetite or loss of interest in activities, insomnia, and more. PTSD and other chronic stress can lead to physical pain and changes in the central nervous system. These mental injuries can affect an individual’s mindset to the extreme where they are no longer able to function and go about their lives how they did prior to the accident.
Compensation for Injuries
When it comes to pursuing compensation for your car accident injuries, it is important to consider all of the costs related to all of the injuries you have sustained, physical or mental. This includes therapy, psychiatry, doctor’s appointments, loss of wages, and more. It’s important to have a legal team that has the experience and knowledge necessary to represent you and get you the compensation you deserve. Put your case in the hands of attorneys you can trust. Contact us today.
**The foregoing is not legal advice, and the information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only and any Readers of this website should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.**