Motor vehicle accidents: the most common catastrophic injuries

On Behalf of | Apr 1, 2024 | Firm News

When you think of a car accident, you might imagine a fender bender or a car crash where there is damage to the vehicles but the people inside the cars are able to walk away without a scratch. That is the best scenario for a motor vehicle accident.

Unfortunately, car accidents that lead to catastrophic, life-altering injuries happen much more often than you would probably imagine. This can also happen with trucks, a car hitting a pedestrian and many other situations.

For the purpose of this blog, we will discuss the most common serious injuries resulting from the collision of two cars. In other words, we will talk about car accidents and the worst possible injuries that could result from them.

Brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs for short, are the most common, severe and life-threatening injuries that a person can sustain. While our bodies are strong and created to heal themselves in many cases, unfortunately, in these situations, the damage is too large.

Brains are delicate and they control much of the body. Sadly, whether it is smacking your head on the steering wheel, hitting the glass or the jarring motion the head sustains following a rear end collision, damaging your brain could result in life-threatening injuries or death.

Spinal cord injuries

The spinal cord is composed of nerves that run down a person’s back, and it acts sort of like an intermediary between the brain and the body. The brain sends signals through the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

In a car accident, a person’s spinal cord can become damaged and this is a very serious injury because it can lead to loss of movement or feeling in different parts of the body.

Imagine cutting wires between your brain and the rest of your body—not only will the other parts of the body not be able to function normally, but also the wires that were cut may not be repairable..

Severe burns

Cars carry a lot of flammable liquids, which can easily cause a fire in a car accident. Sometimes the fire does not begin immediately, which is why it is so critical to exit the vehicle if you can as soon as possible.

Burns can lead to infections, scarring, disfigurement and chronic problems that can require surgeries for the rest of a person’s life. If a person is disfigured and their face is completely burned, they will likely also suffer intense and serious physical and psychological harm.

If you or someone you know is involved in an accident, having an experienced attorney who specializes in serious injury law and advocates on your behalf will help you get the compensation you deserve. Experienced personal injury attorneys work on these cases all the time and have a thorough understanding of the process from start to finish.