12 of the Most Common Car Accident Injuries in Tucson

Residents of Tucson aren’t strangers to auto accidents. Recent police data show that Tucson has approximately 6,000 auto accidents a year. Car accidents mean more than dealing with car repairs, they also come with their fair share of injuries.

Car accident injuries vary from minor to severe. Are you curious about what you could face if you end up in a car accident? Read on to learn all about the most common injuries that happen in car accidents.

1. Whiplash

Whiplash is probably the first thing you think of when you think of a car accident injury. While it is one of the most common injuries, it is typically associated with a certain type of car accident: getting rear-ended. 

Whiplash happens when your neck moves rapidly back and forth, like when you crack a whip. People with whiplash typically experience things like painful, stiff necks, loss of range of motion in their neck, and headaches. They might also notice fatigue and dizziness. 

This type of injury is not always immediately evident. For this reason, it’s important to not make any assurances to the other party in the car accident about your well-being. Be sure to follow up with your physician a few days after your accident if you begin to experience any symptoms associated with whiplash.

2. Concussions

Concussions frequently occur in auto accidents. They’re caused by any kind of blow to your head or jolt that causes your brain to move around in your skull. 

Concussions are lower on the scale of brain injuries, but they still have serious implications. Typical symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Some symptoms come on later, such as memory issues or sensitivity to light or noise. 

If you have recently had a concussion, your doctor might recommend something called relative rest. This means limiting tasks that require heavy thinking or concentration. 

3. Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are caused by many things, but motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of moderate and severe TBIs. 

Like a concussion, TBIs are the result of bumps, jolts, and blows to the head. Mild TBIs are interchangeable with concussions. The remaining two categories are moderate and severe. 

People with TBIs experience short- to long-term symptoms associated with them. Symptoms include issues with memory or concentration, loss of consciousness, and disorientation. Sufferers might also deal with mood swings or feelings of depression and anxiety.

4. Broken Bones

Car accidents often result in a number of fractured and broken bones. This is because of the sudden impact that happens with accidents involving two moving vehicles. 

Car accident victims experience everything from broken legs, to broken arms, wrists, and ankles. Some people even experience multiple breaks or a broken pelvis. 

You might be surprised to learn that some broken bones are not immediately evident. This is especially true when it comes to things like hairline fractures. These types of injuries typically show up during imaging.

Make sure to keep copies of your x-rays if you have any broken bones. If you hire an attorney for your personal injury case, they’ll want as much evidence as possible that documents the injuries you sustained in the accident.

5. Spinal Cord Injuries

Car accidents happen at various rates of speed, and the resulting collision causes your body to move in ways it ordinarily would not. If your accident is severe enough, it can injure or even sever your spinal cord. 

Spinal cord injuries result in everything from weakness in the legs to quadriplegia. Depending on the injury, the long-term impacts include chronic pain, loss of bladder and bowel control, and permanent loss of mobility.

Spinal cord injuries are most frequently associated with accidents where the car rolls over or passengers are thrown from the vehicle. They’re also common in high-speed collisions. 

6. Lacerations and Bruises

Some of the most common car accident injuries are the ones you probably don’t think about. Lacerations and bruises are almost guaranteed when you’re in a collision with another vehicle, especially if you’re both moving when it happens. 

Anything from broken glass to impact with the dashboard or steering wheel cause these types of injuries. While you’ll see lacerations right away, bruises might take some time to develop. Like broken bones, it is relatively easy to document these types of injuries with photographs to use in your case. 

7. Road Rash

A number of auto accidents involve bicyclists, motorcycles, or people thrown from vehicles. What happens when a person skids across the pavement? Road rash. 

Road rash is what happens when someone’s skin gets scraped off through contact with a hard surface like pavement or concrete. It most commonly occurs on the knees, elbows, and forearms. Any type of bony area on your body is likely to be impacted by road rash.

Depending on the severity of the road rash, you might need medical treatment properly treat and manage the pain from the injury. Severe cases leave hypertrophic scars and require things like skin grafts and dermabrasion to properly treat them. 

8. Loss of Limbs

Many car accident victims find themselves without a limb or appendage following their car accident. This might happen during the accident itself, or the limb or appendage may be so damaged that it cannot be saved. Some physicians may also opt to amputate a limb in order to save a patient’s life. 

Many people who lose their limbs following an accident find that they’re no longer able to work. As a result, they may be eligible for disability. Talk to your car accident lawyer about your potential disability options.

9. Burns

Some car accidents are more violent than others and result in a car fire. If occupants of the vehicle are still present when it catches fire, they may suffer burns. Burns also happen when passengers come into contact with things like hot fluids, steam, or surfaces. 

Like with road rash, burns may require medical treatment. Serious burns require surgery and skin grafts or treatment at a specialized burn center. Minor burns typically require wound dressing and medications. 

10. Internal Injuries

Some of the most common but also most serious injuries from car accidents are internal injuries. Any time a crash causes your body to hit an object, like the steering wheel or debris, your internal organs might be damaged. 

One of the most common types of internal injury is internal bleeding. Internal bleeding requires immediate emergency medical treatment, often surgical intervention. Another serious internal injury is pneumothorax, where a broken rib punctures the lung. 

You might know you have internal injuries right away, but sometimes you won’t. That’s why it’s critical that you seek medical care as soon as possible after your accident, especially if you’ve experienced any blunt-force trauma to your torso. 

11. Facial Injuries

Facial injuries are very common in car accidents. They’re typically caused by things like broken glass or by impacts with the steering wheel, windshield, or dashboard. The driver or passenger might also suffer facial injuries or burns from the airbags in the car.

Some facial injuries are relatively minor and go away with care and time. People with severe facial injuries might be permanently disfigured or require surgical intervention in order to correct the injury. 

12. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Many people think about the physical injuries that accompany a car accident but don’t stop to consider the long-term mental repercussions of a car accident. Even the most minor car accidents leave drivers and passengers feeling nervous about getting on the road. 

Some people who go through car accidents suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for years after the accident. Getting in the car might seem like an impossible thing to do. They might even suffer from panic attacks if a certain situation occurs on the road that triggers memories of their accident. 

People dealing with PTSD do better when they take the time to develop coping skills to avoid or de-escalate panic attacks. Developing these skills takes time and may require professional assistance.

Be sure to talk to your car accident attorney about your mental health following your accident to create a more holistic view of the impact of the accident on your life.

Don’t Let Car Accident Injuries Sideline Your Life

We’d all like to have the ability to avoid car accidents, but they’re an unfortunate part of life for most of us. If you’ve been on the receiving end of any of these car accident injuries, then it’s incredibly important to seek medical care as soon as possible. Document everything that happened and seek out a car accident lawyer to help you recover.

Are you looking for an experienced car accident attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve? You’ve come to the right place. Contact Sweet Lawyers today to learn about your options.