Common Auto Accident Injuries

Every auto accident is different. The position and speed of the vehicles at the time of impact; your position in the car as  a driver or a passenger; the deployment of your airbag, and the opportunity to have “braced yourself for impact” all can affect the nature and types of injuries you and other passengers may sustain.  Despite this, the majority of injuries that result from an accident often fall in a handful of familiar categories, each of which have their own consequences.

Broken bones and lacerations

A common injury from car crashes are fractures and broken bones, as well as cuts and lacerations.  These injuries can be severe and potentially deadly at the scene of the accident and can raise complications in the recovery process.  If you are transported to the Emergency Room after a car accident, the hospital will likely take radiological images (such as X-rays or CT Scans) to determine whether you have any broken bones or other internal injuries.  

Back and neck injuries

One of the most common types of injuries resulting from a car crash are called “soft tissue injuries.”  These are injuries to the non-bony structures of the spine or parts of the body.  Some people used to call these whiplash injuries. The unexpected force of being hit by another car puts significant and sudden strain on your vertebral disc, core muscles, as well as your back and neck. Soft tissue injuries might feel like nothing right after a crash, but the pain and the physical infirmities from the injury can worsen in the days and weeks after the event and can become very debilitating.  Cervical, thoracic and lumbar disc bulges or herniations often cause pain, muscle weakness and may limit your mobility.  You may be referred to physical therapy, pain management, or surgery for these injuries.

Head injuries

Even the small impact car accident can knock your head, neck and back around. Not only can this result in ruptured discs, neck strains and whiplash, but if your head slams into the side of your car, the steering wheel, or a window, the impact can cause lasting damage or traumatic brain injury. Even if there was no contact between your skull and an external object, soft tissue of your brain bang against your skull bone causing concussion. Concussions happen when your head jolts so hard that your brain gets jostled around and hits the inside of your skull.  Concussions can be mild or severe, but the impact of one can linger for days or months after the collision and can have an influence on your mental health for years afterward.

Additionally, the memory of these injuries tends to linger, leading to emotional distress and other mental difficulties for years after the accident.

Can I recover for my injuries?

If you have been injured in an auto accident, you must review your auto insurance policy.  If you have no “limitation on lawsuit” with your auto insurance policy, you may be entitled to pain and suffering damages for your injuries.  If you have selected a “limitation on lawsuit” or “verbal threshold” option with your auto insurance carrier, or if you are an out-of-state resident that had an accident in New Jersey, recovery for pain and suffering can be made if you fall under certain categories of injuries.

New Jersey Personal Injury Attorneys 

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident and need legal representation in court to ensure they get the care and the compensation that they deserve, call the personal injury attorneys at Foss, San Filippo & Milne, LLC at (732) 741-2525 or contact them online today.