Every day, more than 14,000 people seek medical treatment for injuries suffered in car accidents across the United States. However, it’s likely that many more crash victims fail to get to the emergency room after collisions because they don’t know that they’ve been injured. It’s not uncommon for crash victims to suffer internal injuries, including broken bones, soft tissue injuries, ruptured organs, and internal bleeding.
Delaying medical care after suffering an internal injury in a car accident in California can be catastrophic. The longer the internal trauma goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more likely it is that the victim will experience complications. When a crash-related internal injury is severe, delaying medical care can potentially be deadly.
The more you know about what internal injuries are most common after a car accident and how to identify the signs and symptoms of those injuries, the better. Seeking legal help from an experienced San Diego car accident lawyer is also advised.
What Are the Most Common Types of Internal Injuries From Car Accidents in California?
Car accidents generate a great deal of force. When you’re inside a vehicle that strikes an object or is hit by another car, your body will absorb some of that force. You may also make hard contact with debris, parts of your vehicle, or the road surface. As your body absorbs the force of the crash and suffers blunt force trauma, it’s not uncommon to suffer injuries beneath the skin’s surface.
Some of the most common types of internal injuries from car accidents in California include:
Broken Bones
Broken bone injuries occur when a bone in the body suffers a partial or complete fracture. There are many different types of broken bone injuries, including transverse breaks, oblique fractures, spiral fractures, and comminuted fractures.
According to the CDC, about 6 percent of all car accident victims who seek medical treatment suffer broken bone injuries. However, if the fracture is closed, meaning that it hasn’t broken the skin, it’s possible that you might not know that you’ve broken something.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury affecting the neck, upper back, and/or shoulders. This type of injury is most common in victims of rear-end collisions, which lends to situations where the victim’s head can be whipped back and forth rapidly. For many, signs of whiplash aren’t immediate. There aren’t typically any external signs of trauma. Instead, signs of whiplash are musculoskeletal and neurological - chronic headaches beginning at the base of the skull, neck stiffness, limited range of motion, tinnitus, and changes in cognitive function.
Chest Injuries
Statistically speaking, chest injuries are one of the most common types of injuries a person can suffer if they’re involved in a car accident. In fact, 80 percent of crash victims suffer an injury to the chest or head. Chest injuries can be caused by seat belts, airbags, or when an unrestrained passenger makes contact with the steering wheel or dashboard. Common chest injuries include damage to the heart, lungs, diaphragm, and liver; internal bleeding; and fractured ribs.
Organ Damage
The force of impact on the body can cause catastrophic, unseen trauma to a crash victim’s internal organs, including the spleen, kidneys, lungs, and/or liver. Organ damage can cause secondary injuries, including internal bleeding, pneumothorax, and/or organ failure.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries often result when the head sustains a forceful blow to the head. In a car accident, it’s not uncommon for vehicle occupants to strike their head on the steering wheel, dashboard, window, or on pavement if they’re ejected. Signs of traumatic brain injuries can be masked by the stress and trauma of an accident, making them difficult to diagnose.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord, which relays signals from the brain to the rest of the body (and vice versa), can become damaged in a car accident. The location of the injury and whether the cord is partially or completely severed can influence the severity of the resulting injury.
What Are the Signs of Internal Injuries After a Car Accident?
While every internal injury will ultimately have its own unique signs and symptoms, important things to look for include:
- Bruising and contusions, which could indicate internal bleeding and/or organ damage
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Changes in temperature sensitivity
- Limited range of motion and/or mobility
- Chest pain
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Feeling cold
- Loss of consciousness
- Chronic pain worsened by movement
It’s normal for your body to go into some degree of shock when you’re involved in a car accident. It’s a survival instinct and your body’s way of protecting itself. However, the rush of adrenaline you experience right after an accident can make it hard to identify signs of internal trauma. If you have suffered internal injuries, it’s imperative that they’re diagnosed and treated properly as soon as possible.
So, don’t discount the possibility that you’ve suffered internal injuries after a car accident in California. Get yourself to the closest hospital and undergo a thorough medical evaluation. It’s safer to rule out internal trauma than to have to play catch-up and risk suffering from potentially catastrophic complications.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help Me If I’ve Suffered Internal Injuries in a California Crash?
If you’ve suffered internal injuries in a recent car accident in California, you’ll need time to focus on your recovery. Depending on the specific injuries you’ve suffered, you might be unable to work and face a very long road ahead of you before life can regain some sense of normalcy. The last thing you need to do is to worry about how to pay for your medical bills and offset your sudden loss of income.
Fortunately, you have rights as a crash victim, including the ability to seek insurance benefits and/or damages through a personal injury lawsuit.
An experienced California car accident attorney at Singleton Schreiber is ready to take charge of your fight for compensation, which can give you peace of mind and the ability to focus on getting better.
You’ll benefit from the experience and knowledge of award-winning litigators with a billion-dollar track record of success. We’ll handle all aspects of your claim, working hard to prove your losses and help you maximize the financial recovery you need to deal with your internal car accident injuries.
There’s a limited time to pursue compensation for your car accident internal injuries, so call our California law office for a free consultation today.
