Types of Injuries Sustained in Anne Arundel County Car Accidents
Every year, millions of people are hurt in car accidents, with injuries ranging from cuts and scrapes to broken bones, head injuries, and even death. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over three million people are injured every year in car accidents in the United States. The type of injuries a victim suffers depends largely on the cause of the car accident. For example, someone involved in a fender bender would likely suffer far less severe injuries than someone involved in a head on collision.
Other factors that can impact the type and severity of injuries include the following:
- Whether or not the victim was wearing a seat belt
- Where the person’s vehicle was hit
- The body position of the occupant, and whether he or she was facing forward or had his or her head turned
- If the crash was a high-speed collision or a low-speed crash
- Whether or not the car had airbags
Main Injury Categories
- Impact Injuries: These occur when a passenger’s body hits a part of the interior of the car, including the dashboard, steering wheel, headrest or side window.
- Penetrating Injuries: These include cuts and scrapes that can result from shattered glass and loose objects flying into the car from the force of impact.
The following are examples of some of the more common types of injuries that victims suffer as a result of a wreck:
- Arm and Leg Injuries: The force of impact can cause an accident victim’s arms and legs to hit the dashboard, windows, seats, or other hard surfaces in the car, causing scrapes, sprains, and broken bones.
- Back Injuries: The impact of the car accident can cause a range of back injuries including sprains, strains, fractures, disc injuries, thoracic spine injuries, lumbar radiculopathy, and lumbar spine injuries. Sometimes, the symptoms of back injuries may not show up right away. When they do, they can often cause chronic pain and discomfort.
- Chest Injuries: The blunt force trauma from a crash can cause broken ribs, collapsed lungs, internal bleeding, and organ damage. If the victim has heart problems, the accident can cause him or her to go into cardiac arrest. These injuries tend to be serious in nature, requiring immediate medical attention.
- Facial Injuries: A victim’s face can become injured by a number of things, including hitting the steering wheel, impact of the airbag, hitting the dashboard, or shattered glass, to name a few. This can cause cuts and scrapes, fractures, and serious dental issues.
- Head and Brain Injuries: These can range in severity from mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that can cause permanent damage. It is crucial that victims who hit their head seek medical attention because symptoms do not always appear immediately. The impact can cause the brain to swell or become bruised, which can cause a range of other problems.
- Neck Injuries: These injuries can range from relatively minor neck strain to serious disc injury and cervical radiculopathy.
- Psychological Injuries: Car accidents can be very traumatic, particularly for those who have suffered a serious injury or the wrongful death of a loved one. The effects of this event can cause a range of psychological issues, ranging from mild depression and general emotional distress to more severe conditions like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Soft Tissue Injuries: This is the most common type of car accident injury, which involves damage to the body’s connective tissue, including the muscles, ligaments and tendons. A common example of a soft tissue injury is whiplash, which occurs when the muscles and ligaments in the neck and upper back are stretched due to the impact of the collision.
Anne Arundel County Car Wreck Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Seek Compensation for Victims Injured in Car Accidents
If you have suffered any of the above injuries as a result of a car accident, you are urged to contact the Anne Arundel County car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton as soon as possible. We have a proven track record of obtaining the maximum financial compensation for our clients, and will work tirelessly to ensure that your rights are protected and that the responsible parties are held accountable for their actions. To arrange a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, which includes the towns of Annapolis Neck, Arden on the Severn, Arnold, Brooklyn Park, Cape Saint Claire, Crofton, Crownsville, Deale, Edgewater, Ferndale, Fort Meade, Friendship, Galesville, Gambrills, Glen Burnie, Herald Harbor, Jessup, Lake Shore, Linthicum, Maryland City, Mayo, Naval Academy, Odenton, Parole, Pasadena, Pumphrey, Riva, Riviera Beach, Severn, Severna Park and Shady Side.