Any car crash can cause injury. Generally, the higher the crash’s speed, the more likely severe damage happens. Sometimes, the collision can be devastating, yet everyone walks away relatively uninjured. Other times, what seems like a minor crash becomes a nightmare for the injury victim.
Car accident lawyers in Houston, TX see injuries and damages from crashes every day. Sometimes, the victim is the vehicle’s driver; other times, they are passengers in the wrong place at the wrong time. Personal injury lawyers represent injury victims who have been injured due to the fault of another. According to Baumgartner Law Firm, talking to an attorney should be one of your first steps after an injury accident.
If another motorist was negligent, call us for a consultation regarding your rights and options. Most attorneys handle car accident injuries on a contingency fee; many offer free consultations.
Some of the most common injuries caused by car crashes are:
Neck, back, or spinal cord injuries
Disc injuries are rarely diagnosed at the ER. In severe collisions where a fracture is suspected, a sophisticated test called an MRI is often done in the emergency room. However, if a fracture is not suspected or is ruled out by an x-ray, a back or neck injury involving a disc is usually not diagnosed until a specialist orders an MRI.
One common misconception is that if you are released from the emergency room and not admitted to the hospital overnight, everything will be okay.
Usually, it is only after the failure of conservative treatment such as physical therapy, medication, and home exercise that a disc injury diagnosis is determined after an MRI is done. X-rays do not show problems with the spinal cord, such as a herniated disc, bulging disc, or slipped disc.
Disc injury can be diagnosed after the MRI or CT scans.
Neck and lower back injuries are common with rear-end impacts. It is the sudden move forward of the head in a “whiplash” type movement that can lead to disc problems, which are way more severe than what has been called soft tissue injury.
One factor that experienced spinal cord injury attorneys see frequently is a herniated disc shown on an MRI or a CT scan. Herniated discs can cause issues with the spinal cord and neck or cause radiation of pain in the arms or legs. Radiculopathy signals something more is happening with the discs or spinal cord.
Neck or back surgery can be necessary if the discs protrude into the spinal canal or discharge material from the disc. Likewise, a fracture of any part of the spinal cord usually requires surgical intervention and may require the installation of hardware near the spinal cord. Acute spinal cord injury can result in permanent damage, disfigurement, and disability.
The cost of a spinal cord injury can be significant.
Head or Brain Injury
Head injuries can happen in even minor car crashes. Not long ago, a woman was involved in a fender bender. She and the other driver exchanged information and went their separate ways, not even calling the police.
No one suspected or thought an injury claim would be made from that car accident. Later that day, the woman developed a headache.
The headache continuously got a little worse as time went on. A few days later, it got so bad that the woman went to the emergency room for help. She never left the hospital. What seemed like a minor crash turned out to be a fatal collision.
In short, brain injuries cannot be seen and cannot easily be diagnosed. If you are in an auto accident and suspect a head injury, get to the hospital and evaluate it.
A concussion is the most common closed-head injury of all. Contact sports have gotten very sophisticated recently, as have guidelines for treating and dealing with traumas. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of concussions. Most concussions lead to short-term issues that resolve over time.
However, there are other instances where the head injury or brain injury is permanent. A head injury can be a life-changing situation for many people.
Typical signals of a brain injury or closed head injury include mood swings, memory loss, headaches, and irrational behavior. Neurologists and neuropsychologists are commonly consulted to accurately diagnose and treat a brain injury after an auto accident.
Shoulder Injury
Injury to the shoulder happens many times in T-bone or side-swipe accidents. The shoulder is a very sophisticated mechanism that is sensitive to injury. Unfortunately, if there is a shoulder injury, it usually involves a tear in a tendon and will require surgical treatment to alleviate the pain and help resolve the problems.
Shoulder surgery can be tough to recover from, even when it involves a minimally evasive orthoscopic procedure.
It is not unheard of for someone to struggle with 3 to 6 months of recovery after surgery. This injury often occurs in commercial vehicle crashes where the other vehicle strikes the driver or passenger side. Insurance adjusters frequently fight causation from a medical standpoint, even when the injury is well documented in the emergency room.
Chest Injuries
Chest injuries can be excruciating and often stem from frontal impacts. Broken sternum and collarbones are a few of the injuries personal injury attorneys see frequently. Treatment for a fractured sternum usually includes rest and pain.
A broken collar bone scan requires surgical reconstruction by adding plates and screws if it is a compound break. Recovery time can vary depending on the severity of the break and whether surgery is needed.
Ankle, Foot, and Knee Injuries
Fractures of the ankle or foot are another common injury that vehicle accident lawyers see on an ongoing basis. The cause of the fracture will depend on the type of crash and impact. A break can be caused by the foot being driven to the side or pushed into the peddles.
Surgery is often needed for many car wreck victims. Knee injuries almost always involve some therapy, if not a surgical treatment.
Most injuries are related to the tendons and not the bones. The best car accident lawyers know what needs to be done to present your car crash injury in a favorable light to a jury.
Making an Injury Claim
Some cases can be handled without an attorney, yet others require assistance to maximize compensation. Locating a local attorney with experience in personal injury accidents and speaking with them is never a bad idea.
