Car accidents happen more often than you’d think. Our thoughts wander for a second, we simply must take that call, a deer appears from nowhere and we’ve got ourselves losing control over the wheel!
Good thing is that car accidents don’t always result in death. Some of the most common injuries are:
1. Spinal Cord injuries
This type of damage often results in a loss of feeling or function. Spinal cord injuries are caused by displacement and/or bruising of ligaments and bone fragments that tear spinal cord tissue. This further destroys axons which carry signals between our body and the brain.
2. Internal injuries Though often not visible, these types of injuries are often life threatening and need to be treated by medical stuff only. Internal bleeding, fractured ribs, kidney, spleen, lungs, liver, heart failure along with aorta and bowels damage are just some of possible outcomes of car accidents.
3. Brain injuries A traumatic brain injury is one of the most common injuries suffered in car accidents. These types of injuries happened when passengers or the driver violently bang their head on an object. Consequences of this injury vary from mild to severe, depending on the extent of trauma. The brain should always be checked for possible swelling, bruising or bleeding.
4. Psychological injuries
Psychological injuries can be short or long-term, depending on the extent of emotional distress suffered in an accident. These injuries often result in depression, sorrow and anxiety. They tend to interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal life. They can also have long-lasting effects, especially if that person’s life (or life of somebody they deeply care about) has suffered irrevocable changes.
5. Abdominal injuries. Injuries to abdominal organs as well as hip fracture occur in car accidents but are more common for motor vehicle accidents. Kidneys, liver and spleen are in many instances injured in front- and side-impact collisions.
6. Back injuries
Back injuries are known to be the most common type of car accident injuries. They may cause long lasting discomfort and pain and limit a person’s mobility, sometimes irrevocably. Back injuries often manifest through fractured vertebrae, strains and sprains, herniated discs and lower back pain.
7. Neck injuries A blow suffered in a car accident can often crush the trachea or larynx which results in severe neck injuries. It is not uncommon for neck breaking to result in on-the-spot death.
8. Leg and knee injuries These types of injuries are often caused by smashing into a part of the car and they can result in multiple fractures/fracture or bruises (contusions). If twisted abruptly, meniscus tear is another possible outcome of car accidents.
9. Chest injuries Car accidents can cause breaking of breast bone (sternum) and/or ribs. Such severe injury is often a result of unfastened seat belt or inactivated airbags. Another dangerous injury is a diaphragm rapture (“a tear of the muscle across the bottom of the rib cage that is crucial to respiration”, med.).
10. Foot injuries Toes, ankles and feet are easily sprained, strained or fractured and these injuries depend on the position of your legs and feet at the time of the accident.
Apart from instant death, all the above listed injuries are treatable by trained medical staff.
Article by Christian Bach, who is currently working at driving school Ltrent.
