Common Car Crash Injuries & What Causes Them

Through the course of long commutes, road trips, and simple quick drives to the store, odds are that you may, unfortunately, get into a car accident at some point in your life. The average driver will have to make a car insurance claim roughly every 17-19 years. As put by Forbes, “If you haven’t been in a car accident, consider yourself lucky. Or overdue.” 

If you’ve ever been in a car accident (recently OR in the past), you may have suffered potentially life long injuries. If you’re curious about which injuries are most common, read on! 

Common Car Crash Injuries

Whiplash is a term used to describe an array of symptoms as the outcome of a rapid back-and-forth motion of the head and neck commonly caused by a car accident (NCBI).  

Rear-end car crashes can often result in this head and neck injury with varying symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, back pain, and numbness in fingers and toes (NCBI). 

These symptoms may not present themselves immediately so it can be tricky to know for certain if you have endured whiplash related injuries. 

Whiplash may seem minor initially but can turn into a chronic injury down the road. If you feel like you’ve experienced whiplash due to a car crash, we recommend seeking medical treatment right away and contacting an attorney to ensure you get those medical bills taken care of. 

Head injuries are also one of the most common injuries caused in a car accident. The severity of the head injury is important to consider the potential effects that may have on your life permanently. 

From concussion to a blow to the skull, head injuries can be very serious and in some cases, life-threatening. Depending upon the severity of the injury, symptoms could range anywhere from headaches and dizziness all the way to memory loss and seizures. 

Herniated Discs are an injury we often see among our car accident clients. A herniated disc occurs when one or more vertebrae in your spine shifts out of place. A herniated disc can happen anywhere in your spine including in your neck and low back. 

Other Bodily Injuries are also very common in car accidents. Again, severity is crucial when it comes to symptoms and repercussions in the healing process. Sustained injuries will be unique to each accident. You may walk away with scrapes and bruises or more severe, life-altering trauma like broken bones or even internal bleeding. 

Common Causes of Car Crash Injuries

Car accidents are very common and most are caused by human error. While you can only control your own actions, if we all individually do our part we can help prevent car crash injuries. Below we detail some of the most common causes:

Distracted driving is increasing more and more as we have added distractions. From phone calls, texting, maps, and more – anything that distracts us from watching the road can cause an accident. To prevent this, many devices have Driving Mode. Do your best to keep your focus on the road in front of you.

Drunk Driving is another common cause of car accidents and it is the most dangerous. Do your part and call a friend, get an Uber, or call a taxi if you’ve had anything to drink. 

Speeding contributes to many car accidents, the second leading cause to be exact. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going on time. Speeding can be tempting, but all it takes is planning ahead and you can avoid spendy tickets and harmful accidents. 

Reckless driving includes all the above-mentioned causes as well as many more careless mistakes while driving. All in all, keep your focus on the road, only drive sober, and follow all traffic rules. 

Do the best you can do to protect yourself and others on the road. This may not give you immunity from getting in a car accident, but it can help reduce your odds. 

If you’ve suffered injuries from an accident, we suggest you speak with a doctor. Injuries caused by a car crash can be very serious, seek medical attention as soon as possible. 

Car accidents directly impact your physical and emotional well-being as well as your finances.

Call us for a free consultation to discuss your options. 

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