Low-Impact Car Accident Injuries in New Mexico

Car accidents - at any speed - can cause serious injuries or death. And while collisions occurring at high speeds tend to be the most catastrophic, it’s important to not underestimate the damage that a low-impact collision can inflict.

Low-impact car accident injuries in New Mexico can be painful, debilitating, and costly.

What is a Low-Impact Car Accident?

A car accident is considered “low impact” when it occurs at speeds of 10 MPH or less. Many times, we see low-impact collisions in stop-and-go traffic, at intersections, and in parking lots where vehicles tend to be driven at low speeds.

Just how serious can a low-impact car accident in New Mexico be? Let’s say Peter, who weighs 175 pounds, is driving a vehicle and rear-ends the vehicle in front of him, which is at a complete stop. Assuming he’s wearing his seatbelt, his body experiences 892 pounds of force. If he’s not wearing his seatbelt, the average force of impact increases to 4,458 pounds.

Consider this: a rib bone can only withstand about 700 pounds of force before it’s likely to break. So, low-impact collisions have the ability to cause many serious injuries - especially when vehicle occupants aren’t buckled up.

What Are the Most Common Types of Low-Impact Car Injuries?

Several factors will influence what types of injuries you’re most likely to suffer in a New Mexico car accident.

What type of collision was it? Where were you sitting in the vehicle? Did the airbags deploy? Were you wearing your seatbelt? How old are you? Did you suffer from any pre-existing medical conditions before the crash?

However, some of the most commonly reported injuries in low-impact car accidents include:

• Whiplash: rapid back-and-forth movement of the head can cause damage to the cervical discs, soft tissue, tendons, and muscles in the neck
• Broken bones: some bones in the body can fracture when force is exerted on the body in a crash at low speeds
• Concussions: occupants can suffer mild brain injuries known as concussions when their heads strike the steering column, window, or debris in a collision
• Contusions: contusions, or bruising, can occur when a person experiences blunt force trauma in a low-impact wreck
• Soft tissue injuries: the body is susceptible to sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries when a person twists or turns unnaturally during a crash

It’s always important to seek prompt medical care after a car accident in New Mexico, even if it’s a low-impact collision and you don’t think that you’ve been injured. Some injuries can be difficult to identify right away, especially when they’re masked by the adrenaline coursing through your veins after a wreck.

Getting to the closest emergency room can help to ensure that you receive the necessary medical screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Singleton Schreiber Can Help You Get Compensation For Your Low-Impact Car Accident Injuries

If someone else caused your low-impact car accident injuries in New Mexico, Singleton Schreiber can help you hold them accountable. We’re local lawyers with national resources at our disposal, and we’ve helped our clients win billions in monetary awards.

Call our award-winning Albuquerque car accident lawyers today to discuss your rights and discover how our team can help you maximize your recovery.