Some of the most common and serious car accident injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Back Injury
- Herniation
- Neck Injury
- Abdominal Injury
- Chest Injury
- Fractures
Whether you are on Interstate 5 heading to work or traveling to the supermarket, you have a 1 in 4 chance of being involved in a car accident during your lifetime. The number of car accidents in the city of Los Angeles increased to more than 55,000 in 2017 from roughly 52,000 the year before. Each year since then, the numbers have deviated little despite programs like Vision Zero. The reality is that driving in Los Angeles is dangerous.
Types of Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries depend on the type of collision and the position and speed of the vehicles. A head-on collision is often fatal as are those from a t-bone accident. Both types of accidents occur on city streets and on the highway. Rollovers often involve roof-crush injuries where the weight of the vehicle is too heavy for the roof causing it to collapse inward. Rear-end accidents, while often considered a fender bender, are less severe but can still cause injury.
Some of the most common car accident injuries are listed below:
- Traumatic brain injury: This is one of the most life-altering injuries that can result from a car accident. TBIs are subclassified based on their severity, ranging from a mild concussion that can heal within six months to a subarachnoid bleed that requires surgical intervention. Some car accident head injuries result in a coma. Comas can be self-limiting, or the patient may require long-term care for many years. The medical cost of the injuries also depends on the patient’s medical status. In addition, the injured person may be unable to work at the same or any job in the future. All of this is taken into account when determining the compensation that is needed.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries are devastating for many accident victims. Some people experience weakness of an extremity while others are unable to move, talk or breathe on their own. As with other injuries, the cost associated with spinal cord injury escalates as the level of damage increases. Your personal injury lawyer will be able to calculate both current and future losses so that you receive full compensation for your injuries.
- Back injury: Such injuries range from mild muscle strains and sprains to vertebral fractures. The vertebrae are the building blocks that house the spinal cord. When one or more of these bones are fractured, they may impinge on the spinal cord causing immeasurable pain and immobility.
- Herniation: The vertebrae are separated by a soft cushion that prevents them from rubbing against each other and causing damage to the nerves that exit the spinal cord at different levels of the back. When this cushion is dislodged subsequent to injury, the pressure on the spinal nerves can cause serious problems. Frequently, this injury requires surgery to either fuse the vertebrae or insert a synthetic cushion into the spinal column.
- Neck injury: A plethora of muscles and ligaments support the neck. In some car accidents, such as a rear-end crash, the muscles and ligaments are damaged, causing whiplash. This can cause headaches and severe neck and upper back pain. The symptoms usually last for about six months, but on occasion, can persist for years.
- Abdominal injury: Restraints or the steering wheel can injure the abdomen during a car crash. Organs within the abdomen such as the stomach, spleen and intestine are subject to laceration. This can be fatal if intervention is not available immediately.
- Chest injury: The chest houses the lungs, heart and large blood vessels. All are subject to serious injury following a car accident. From heart contusion to laceration of the lungs, surgical intervention may be necessary.
- Fractures: Many fractures heal after casting. However, some fractures are complicated, and the bones must be realigned before the fracture can heal. This requires surgical placement of pins and other mechanical devices. Other types of fracture, such as pelvic and femur fracture, require long periods of recuperation and rehabilitation.
Car Accident Injuries and Compensation
Some car accident injuries are life-threatening and often lead to wrongful death, with roughly 240 deaths occurring annually in Los Angeles. Others involve serious injury while still more are fender benders. The compensation varies according to the severity of the accident and its injuries. In order to increase your chances of fair compensation, studies have shown that having an injury lawyer at your side is needed.
Hiring a Lawyer for Injuries After a Car Accident
Aside from physical injury, victims are often left in a precarious financial position due to mounting hospital bills or the inability to work. When this happens, the victim is left paying for the negligence of another person.
A car accident lawyer will examine all the direct damages caused by the accident such as medical costs and lost wages. They will also delve into the loss resulting from pain and suffering, loss of consortium and the emotional and psychological stress the car accident caused.
Your attorney will confer with medical experts to determine the length of treatment, the patient’s prognosis and the expectation that additional treatment will be needed in the future. They will also consider the victim’s ability to return to work in the future. When all this data is compiled, your attorney will deal with the insurer to obtain a just settlement, and if this is not done. will take the case into civil court.
At our firm, we also interview witnesses and check the police report for mistakes. In many cases, negotiations with the insurance company to obtain just compensation is fruitful. In others, the insurer will renege on their responsibility, and the case must be brought before a civil court.
The Law Offices of David Azizi provide a free review of your car accident injury claim and will recommend your strongest next move toward justice and fair compensation. Contact a proven car accident lawyer today at online or call (800) 991-5292 for assistance.
