What types of injuries are common in car accidents?

If you’re involved in any type of car accident, both your short- and long-term health are at risk. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll suffer an injury, but it’s something that should be on your radar.

Knowing the most common types of car accident injuries will provide some guidance as you deal with the immediate aftermath. Here are five that you should watch out for:

• Broken bones: Your bones are at risk of breaking in any type of motor vehicle accident, especially one in which your body was jarred around.
• Head injury: Some head injuries are more serious than others, but they all require immediate medical attention and treatment. For example, a concussion is often considered a minor head injury when compared to bleeding on the brain or a skull fracture. However, without treatment, any head injury can quickly worsen, thus resulting in more long-term health concerns.
• Abrasions: Once again, this depends on the type of accident. For instance, if you’re ejected from your vehicle, abrasions are likely as you move along a hard surface.
• Burns: Should your vehicle (or that of the other driver) catch fire, you’re at risk of serious burn injuries. These require both immediate and ongoing medical treatment.
• Soft tissue injuries: These don’t sound as serious as the others on the list, but they can cause just as much pain and suffering. For example, if you tear a ligament or muscle, such as in your knee or shoulder, it can impact your ability to work.

The one thing you don’t want to do after a car accident is treat yourself. Even if you think you only have minor injuries, you’re not qualified to make a final determination. It’s best to call 911, accept treatment from the responding paramedics and let doctors at a local hospital take a closer look.

Once you understand your injuries, treatment plan and prognosis, you’ll then feel better about spending time protecting your legal rights and seeking the compensation you deserve. There are many ways of doing so, such as by filing an insurance claim and taking legal action against the negligent driver.