The force of impact in a car accident can cause serious injuries, often creating physical and emotional damages that follow you for weeks or months. Some are not instantly noticeable, like broken bones or lacerations, but are equally impactful to your health and quality of life.
Take a closer look at some of the most common injuries in car accidents in Kentucky and then call a Kentucky car accident attorney to help you with your car accident claim.
Common Types of Injuries
The following are some of the most likely injuries in a serious car accident. These require immediate medical care.
- Head injuries: Often resulting in traumatic brain injuries and concussions, head injuries carry the risk of long-term cognitive function changes
- Broken bones: Complex fractures, sometimes resulting from crushing accidents, are common, as are simple fractures of the legs or arms.
- Lacerations: Deep lacerations with significant blood loss require immediate medical care, though those who are facing even moderate injuries benefit from urgent care to reduce the risk of infections.
- Burns: Burns are common if chemical exposure occurs or a fire breaks out. These can cause serious disfigurement and injury.
- Neck injuries: Whiplash is a common rear-end accident in which the head moves rapidly forward and backward, straining the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the area.
Common Types of Internal Injuries from Car Accidents
Internal injuries are those that may not always be obvious from looking at a person. Some can develop in the hours or days after a car accident and may be life-threatening as well.
Some of the most common types of internal injuries after a Kentucky car accident may include:
- Penetrating trauma: When any type of material punctures the body, such as shattered glass from a window, this is a penetrating trauma. It is obvious that this occurred, but it may not be clear just how damaging the injury was. A piece of glass may seem to cut your skin, but it may also cause a minor rib fracture that punctures a lung.
- Blunt force trauma: This type of accident occurs when a part of your body is struck hard and fast by an object, even though it may not break the skin. The most common example is the head hitting the steering wheel.
- Organ injury: The trauma of a car accident can cause organ injury, meaning any of the organs in the body can suffer damage to the tissues, leading to internal bleeding. The liver, spleen, and kidneys are some of the most commonly associated with this.
- Abdominal aorta aneurysm: Though not as common as other types of accidents, the aorta, the largest blood vessel in your body, could be compressed during a collision, which can lead to life-threatening bursting.
- Broken ribs: Though painful, broken ribs are not always obvious. They can cause internal bleeding, which leads to the risk of serious outcomes in many people.
If you suspect you have any injuries after a car accident or you are involved in an accident with a serious impact, it is best to go to the emergency room right away. Doing so allows you to get care as soon as possible for the obvious and even the hidden injuries you have.
When someone else causes your injuries in a Kentucky car accident, contact Gary C. Johnson, Attorneys at Law, P.S.C., for a free consultation. Let a Kentucky car accident lawyer help you hold them accountable.
