The sudden, massive force of a collision can injure nearly every part of the body. While airbags and seat belts can go a long way in reducing harm, they do not fully eliminate the risk of injury. People throughout Ohio and Kentucky are injured in crashes every day, and many suffer life-altering harm as a result.
Car accident injuries can range from minor strains to catastrophic damage. At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, we have helped individuals and families across our local communities navigate the physical, emotional, and financial challenges that follow serious auto accidents.
Why Car Accidents Often Lead to Serious Injuries
When a vehicle stops suddenly, the body does not stop at the same time. Instead, the body continues moving briefly before abruptly coming to a stop inside the vehicle. Even at relatively low speeds, this can create a sharp motion that strains soft tissue or causes the body to strike interior surfaces.
High-speed collisions amplify these effects. As speed increases, so does the force transferred to the body. In some cases, the oncoming vehicle may intrude into the vehicle’s interior, leading to direct impact injuries.
Even with serious auto injuries, symptoms may be delayed for several hours or days. This may cause people to underestimate the severity of their injuries immediately after a crash.
Most Common Car Accident Injuries
Car crashes can cause a wide range of injuries. The type and severity often depend on how the crash occurred and how the body absorbed the impact. Our attorneys commonly represent people who have suffered these injuries and more.
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Whiplash is a common auto injury that occurs when the head and neck move rapidly back and forth during a crash. This sudden, forceful movement can damage the muscles and tissues that support the neck.
Car accidents may also cause other types of neck injuries, such as herniated discs in the cervical spine. Similar to whiplash, these injuries can lead to neck pain, stiffness, reduced range of motion, or radiating pain into the shoulders or arms.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Car crashes can cause damage to the vertebrae, discs, or nerves in the back and spine. Herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and nerve compression are common back injuries associated with car accidents. These injuries can affect mobility and cause ongoing pain.
In the most severe cases, victims may suffer direct injury to the spinal cord. The spinal cord transmits signals between the brain and the rest of the body. When it is damaged in a car accident, those signals may be disrupted, leading to significant physical limitations. Spinal cord injury victims often face loss of movement, impaired sensation, incontinence, pain, and breathing problems.
Head and Brain Injuries
Car accidents may cause head and brain injuries when the head strikes a window, steering wheel, or other part of the vehicle’s interior. Traumatic brain injuries are possible even if the head doesn’t physically impact another object, as high-force impacts may cause the brain to move violently inside the skull.
Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, may lead to symptoms such as headache, nausea or vomiting, speech problems, dizziness, light sensitivity, memory problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and behavioral changes. While many brain injury victims make a full recovery, the most catastrophic injuries can result in permanent brain damage with lifelong effects.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Bone fractures, informally called broken bones, can happen when the body strikes a hard surface inside the vehicle during a car crash. The arms, legs, ribs, hips, and facial bones are particularly vulnerable to injury in a collision.
Some fractures are relatively straightforward and heal with immobilization and time. Others require surgery or lengthy rehabilitation. Victims may experience limited mobility, pain, and a delayed return to work, even in milder cases.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries can affect the muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body. Common examples include strains, sprains, tears, and bruises.
While these injuries are not always visible on medical imaging, they can still cause significant pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced range of motion. Nerve damage is also possible in some cases.
Internal Injuries
The force of a car crash can cause internal bleeding or damage to vital organs, including the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, or intestines. These injuries are often life-threatening—internal bleeding can result in rapid blood loss, and organ damage can disrupt the body’s ability to function properly.
Cuts, Lacerations, and Burns
Car accidents can cause cuts and lacerations when broken glass, twisted metal, or flying debris strike the body during impact. These injuries can range from minor surface wounds to deep cuts that damage underlying muscle. They can sometimes cause scarring or nerve damage.
Burn injuries may also occur when fires break out, hot fluids spill, or vehicle components overheat during a crash. Accident-related burns are often severe and may damage all layers of the skin and underlying fatty tissue. Victims may require specialized burn center care and skin grafts, but severe scarring may persist despite treatment.
Delayed Symptoms After a Car Accident
Not all car crash injuries present immediate symptoms. In many cases, stress hormones can temporarily mask signs of an injury and make it difficult to recognize the full extent of the harm.
It is not uncommon for people to feel relatively fine after a collision, only to develop symptoms hours or days later as inflammation increases or injured tissue is used during normal activity. Delayed symptoms may include neck or back pain, headaches, dizziness, numbness or tingling, abdominal pain, fatigue, swelling, or difficulty concentrating.
Because symptoms aren’t always obvious right away, it’s best to seek medical attention as soon as possible after any type of car crash. Even if you don’t notice signs of serious auto accident injury, a medical evaluation may detect hidden damage early. This allows you to get prompt treatment, which can improve your recovery outlook. It also creates documentation that can serve as critical evidence proving a connection between the accident and your injury.
What To Do if You’ve Suffered a Car Accident Injury
Taking the right steps after a car crash can protect both your health and your ability to recover fair compensation. Here’s what we recommend:
- Report the accident. Call 911 and request law enforcement. The responding police officer can create an official accident report that may support your version of events.
- Seek immediate medical attention. Prompt evaluation can help you access quick treatment and prove that the accident caused your injury.
- Follow your treatment plan. Attending follow-up appointments and following your doctor’s medical advice support your recovery. It also shows the insurance companies that you’re doing what you can to improve your health, which can strengthen your injury claim.
- Document everything. Keep records of medical care, symptoms, missed work, and any communications related to the accident.
- Be careful what you say to insurers. The insurance company may use anything you say against you. You have the right to decline to provide information and refer all communications to your lawyer.
- Contact an attorney. An experienced car accident lawyer can guide you through your next steps.
“After a motor vehicle collision, the first steps are crucial. It’s important that you get out of the vehicle if you’re able to, walk around, look at the scene, and take pictures if you can. Wait for the police to get there and create a police report. If you don’t talk to the officer, the other person will. And finally, if you feel the least bit injured, go to an emergency room or an urgent care so you can get checked out and start making a record of what’s happened to you following the collision.” – Attorney Justin Lawrence
How Lawrence & Associates Helps Car Accident Injury Victims
Common car accident injuries can disrupt nearly every aspect of a person’s life, from physical comfort and emotional well-being to the ability to earn an income. Insurance companies often minimize these effects to reduce their payouts. Since 2005, Lawrence & Associates has stood up for injured individuals and families, helping them pursue fair compensation without taking on insurance companies alone.
Our attorneys will provide compassionate support through every step of your injury claim, beginning with a thorough investigation where we’ll determine who’s at fault and gather strong supporting evidence. Once we build your case, our team will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.
If the insurer refuses to settle for what your case is worth, we’ll be prepared to represent you in court. We don’t back down when insurance refuses to do what’s right—it’s how we’ve recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients.
Let us fight for the results you deserve while you focus on healing. Fill out our online contact form to request a free, confidential consultation or call our Ohio office at (513) 951-6723 or our Kentucky office at (859) 251-3045 to get started.
