Few daily activities are riskier for Washingtonians than getting in a car and hitting the road. In fact, over five million of those trips ended in a car accident nationwide in 2012. Those accidents left myriad types of damage and injury in their wake.
Some of the most serious injuries following a car crash are head injuries. For example, it is common for a driver’s head to slam into the steering wheel, the dashboard or even a window during a high-speed collision. Traumatic brain injuries ranging from concussions to comas are frequently the result.
Back injuries are also common, and serious. Any damage to a person’s spinal cord can bring lasting trouble, such as reduced control or feeling in the individual’s hands, arms, feet and other body parts. But even if there is no spinal cord injury, the person might suffer from a herniated disk, which can cause serious difficulties in its own right.
Neck injuries are also frequent. The most well-known of these is whiplash, which is caused by the sudden change of direction during the accident. That change of direction can damage a person’s neck muscles and ligaments, leading to an uncomfortable, and often slow, recovery process.
Less-thought-about, but still common, are chest injuries. These injuries usually flow from blunt force trauma that can puncture lungs or break ribs. In the worst cases, Washingtonians may suffer internal bleeding or go into cardiac arrest.
Above are just a few of the major forms of injuries that Washingtonians can suffer in a car accident. Often, a car accident will produce a mix of the listed injuries and many more.
Washingtonians suffering from these injuries may benefit from discussing their situations with an experienced car-accident attorney. Doing so can be an essential step towards not only holding the responsible party accountable, but also securing the compensation they need to recover from a difficult situation.