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What are the Most Common Injuries from Car Accidents?

An in-depth digest of facts and figures on road-related accidents and injuries

Are you thinking of beating the red light again? Well, think again because the extra 2-3 minutes you’d save by speeding up is completely worthless when you end up hitting a pedestrian, another vehicle, or even losing your own life as a result. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, a staggering 39,107 people died in motor-vehicle crashes in 2019 and remained to be one of the leading causes of death for children, teenagers, and young adults ranging from age 4 to 22 years old. Meanwhile, medically consulted injuries for non-fatal car crashes summed up to a whopping 4.5 million dollars in 2019, considering several factors such as wage and productivity losses, hospital bills, vehicle repair and others.

On a global average, the World Health Organization has estimated that about 1.35 million lives are lost every year due to road accidents. At the same time, non-fatal injuries account for about 2-3 million in the United States alone, as per research done by Statista. In comparison, the number of non-fatal injuries makes up more than half of road-related accidents. It has continued to persist over the years despite the U.S government’s efforts to control the issue. These injuries differ on a case-to-case basis and range from minor wounds to more severe and disabling injuries.

Car-accident-induced injuries are classified into different types. The American Bankruptcy Institute lists five of the most common type of injuries as a result of car crashes as follows, with the first one being the most common form of injury:

  • Soft tissue injuries– first on the list are tissue and muscle-related injuries resulting from sudden muscular reactions during the collision. Connective tissue, ligaments, and tendons are stretched beyond their limits and cause pain and sores around the affected area. An excellent example of this is whiplash, which results from sudden jerking of the head and neck that causes an accidental muscle pull. Though many of these are minor injuries, they can last for days, weeks, or even months at the most. Research has shown that many people still suffer from these injuries during a car crash despite wearing seat belts.
  • Scrapes and cuts –broken glass, pieces of metal from the car, and loose objects can cause wounds and other injuries during a car accident. Surprisingly, airbags are also a contributing factor to this type of injury. They account for causing cuts to both passengers and drivers upon deployment. Debris from the collision could cause scrapes and severe lacerations depending on the trajectory and force of impact. 
  • Head injuries –Funny how wearing helmets is not required when riding a car. It simply because they’re pretty much impractical and inconvenient to use inside a vehicle. During a collision, our heads move about the neck and are easily pivoted by an external force. Depending on where your car is hit, your head is likely to collide with the car frame, window, dashboard, or even the steering wheel. Of course, the likeliness of this happening is significantly reduced by wearing a seat belt, but that is not always the case. It is still quite common for people to sustain concussions, closed head injuries, or worse, even brain damage. 
  • Chest injuries –The average distance between a driver and the car’s steering wheel is approximately 10-12 inches. This is why it’s pretty standard for many drivers to incur broken ribs, internal bleeding, and injuries during major car crashes. To add to this, not wearing a seatbelt could cause you to collide with the dashboard and eventually get sent flying outside the car through the windshield. 
  • Arm & Leg injuries –Probably the most common example for this type of injury is when people hit their knees towards the dashboard as the car comes to a sudden stop or when it hits another vehicle in front. There are other cases when some people use the arms and elbows to protect themselves from the impending collision. This results in cuts, lacerations, and even broken limbs. In some cases, after a car crash, arms and legs could get stuck in between crumpled car parts and make it difficult for the victim to escape.

Car accidents and their related injuries are something that can and should be avoided. So, make sure that safety is your utmost priority on the road. Whatever accident you may get into, make sure to get expert lawyers to help you out. If you want one of the best Georgia car accident lawyers around who are ready to assist you with just a click of a button, reach out to us at 706-847-4086. One of our representatives would be delighted to get in touch with you.

Lynsey Parker is an experienced writer who has written blogs and articles for various law firms, dentists and construction companies throughout the United States.

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