Car accidents are often fast, explosive and violent. More often than not you may be left wondering what just happened as you regain your bearings after the initial impact. Even if the impact is relatively small, you may still experience a number of common injuries associated with car accidents. These include:
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Scrapes and cuts
Scrapes and cuts are one of the most common injuries you’ll experience during a car accident. Shattering glass from the windshield may cause lacerations along your face and arms. A loose projectile, such as your phone, may also cause injury. If not treated quickly, scrapes and cuts may potentially become infected which could lead to further complications.
Whiplash
When you’re involved in a car accident, your vehicle will suddenly stop upon impact whipping your body back and forth. This sudden movement, whiplash, can cause trauma and strain soft tissue and muscle in the body. An injury from whiplash can lead to pain for weeks or even months after an accident has occurred and it can take a significant amount of time before you fully recover.
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Knee trauma
A sudden impact may cause your knees to slam against the dashboard, causing damage to the ligaments in your kneecap and great pain. Depending on the extent of the damage you may need crutches, braces, or even surgery to correct the damage. Recovering from knee trauma can be frustrating because your ability to walk appropriately will be hindered.
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Head injury
Head injuries are among the worst injuries you can experience during a car accident. If you hit your head during an accident, you may suffer brain damage that could lead to devastating long-term consequences. Issues such as constant headaches and difficulty sleeping may plague you for weeks or even months after your accident.
Broken ribs
Ribs are one of the most fragile parts of your body. This is why broken ribs are such a common occurrence during fights and accidents. You may experience broken ribs if you’re violently pushed backward, forwards, or sideways during an accident. After initial treatment, rest and rehabilitation are often the best cure for broken ribs.
How often does the average person get in a car accident?
On average, it’s estimated that you will file a claim for a car accident once every 17.9 years. For example, if you’ve been driving since you were 16 years old, then you will have experienced a car accident by the time you reach 34. Over the course of an average lifespan, you will likely be involved in 3 to 4 accidents.
What causes most vehicle crashes?
Sometimes accidents occur due to bad luck. However, several common factors contribute to most vehicle crashes. These include:
Falling asleep
People aren’t always the best judge when it comes to gauaging their levels of fatigue, and sometimes they may experience a temporary lapse of consciousness — this is often all it takes for an accident to occur. Coffee, soda and energy drinks all play a role in helping us stay alert while driving for long stretches of time, but sometimes even these measures aren’t enough to prevent an accident from occurring.
Distracted driving
Eating, texting, fiddling with the radio or even talking with a passenger can all contribute to distracted driving. Drivers often attempt to estimate the length of distance between themselves and the closest vehicle to their immediate front and use that time to quickly send a text or play with their radio.
It’s during these times that accidents tend to occur, especially if the vehicle in front of you comes to a halt sooner than you expected. Distracted driving has led to the deaths of thousands of drivers. Pay attention to the road and save your text for later. At the very least change the radio at a red light or a stop sign.
Losing control
Sometimes we can lose control of our vehicles due to factors out of our control (such as driving on a slick surface). Other times, drivers may be driving too fast and misjudge their ability to control their vehicle properly. Whatever the case, losing control of the vehicle is a common way for car accidents to occur.
Rolling right turns during a red light.
Not all drivers may be fully aware of the fact that we’re required to come to a full stop before making a right turn on a red light. Often times we’re paying attention to our left (watching for oncoming traffic) as we attempt to make a right turn.
If an oncoming cyclist or crossing pedestrian happens to be in the path of your vehicle, an accident will more than likely occur. Every year more and more pedestrians are killed due to non-attentive drivers turning right during red lights.
How long after a car accident can you go to the hospital?
On average it’s recommended that you see a doctor within 72 hours after an accident. Sometimes you may feel relatively fine after an accident has occurred, and thus you may not think that a trip to the hospital is warranted. However, you may have experienced internal damage that you aren’t aware of that could lead to significant complications later on down the line.
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