Car Crash Injury Breakdown

Anywhere from 20 to 50 million people are seriously injured in car accidents every year. A little more than one million don't survive. It's a staggering series of statistics to consider. Just about everyone drives, many with children and other loved ones in tow, yet most people aren't actively thinking about the ever-present danger driving places them into on a daily basis. If we are worrying about something threatening our safety, it's usually violent crime or natural disasters – two things which the chances of happening are remote compared to the likelihood of being involved in a bad car crash.

We keep on driving, but before you turn a key in the ignition again, it's worth being reminded of just how dangerous automobile accidents can be when they occur. It's not a scare tactic, this is bottom line hard medicine: few things pose the overt threat to physical well-being like big and fast-moving machinery in close proximity to human flesh and bone. Cars, especially many of them moving in opposing and varying directions at once in traffic, are the proverbial killing machines in this sense.

Injuries don't just happen to reckless drivers. Take it from the fact that the car accident lawyer business serves a wide spectrum of the public on a daily basis. They aren't representing reckless drivers at fault, but the folks affected, sometimes catastrophically, by bad behavior and unfortunate events on the road. This could be anyone.

The injuries sustained by car accident victims typically include:

Head – Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the result of extreme and sudden force applied to the skull, either by direct impact or rapid jerking from side to side. This is one of the most common threats posed to the head during automobile collisions, thus TBIs and other brain-related trauma are frequently seen in the aftermath of a car accident. It's critical for those with head trauma but still conscious in the wake of a crash to be monitored by healthcare professionals for up to 48 hours with weekly follow ups for a month or longer. Many symptoms of brain injury can manifest for days or weeks after the inciting incident.
Neck – The spine is the highway connecting the brain with the body. The neck is perhaps where the spine is most vulnerable, especially in a car accident. Extreme damage to this area, if lived through, can lead to paralysis which in turn becomes a lifelong condition from which complete recovery may never be possible.
Back – The backs of the driver and passengers in cars are relatively well-protected, however injuries to this area related to whiplash are incredibly common. Yet it's important to remember that those inside a car aren't always the only ones involved in a crash. Pedestrians and cyclists make up a sizable portion of traffic-related fatalities every year. Back problems are common when these incidents are relatively minor, i.e. under 15 m.p.h. With that said, high-speed collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists tend to produce the most catastrophic of vehicle-related deaths and injuries.
Torso – The body's core, the midsection, is where all the specialized activities happen that keep us up and running. Those parts are protected by a well designed rib cage, but not one built to withstand the kinds of impacts frequently seen in crashes. Again, those properly buckled and seated inside cars are the best off as far as evading injuries to this area. Motorcycle riders, cyclists, and pedestrians are at great risk of damage to the torso in crashes. Even if someone is able to get up and walk it off medical attention must still be sought in case internal bleeding has occurred.
Arms and Legs – The least necessary parts of the body for continuing life, the limbs are commonly victims of bad accidents in order to save the person as a whole. Attached and assembled with flexible joints to aid movement, the looseness of limbs leads to an increased chance for them to see serious injury in an otherwise relatively minor motor vehicle incidents. However, if medical attention is sought quickly it's increasingly possible for modern medicine to re-attach severed limbs.
Car accidents are a tragically common occurrence in our world. The majority lead to little or no injury, yet that still leaves enough room for millions of people to be seriously hurt in automobile-related crashes every year. The range of destruction to the body goes from minor to catastrophic. It can happen to anyone. However, simple steps like buckling up and being aware of your surroundings at all times can have enormous influence on whether or not an incident on the road is survivable.