If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you probably have a lot of questions. You may wonder how common your type of injury is, and whether it’s worth pursuing a claim.
At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., we’ve helped countless people injured in car accidents to receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement and disability, and loss of normal life. We can help document your injuries and connect them to your accident so that you can obtain the compensation Illinois law says you should have.
Call our Chicago car accident lawyers at (312) 236-2900 for a free consultation today.
Common Car Accident Injuries
In general, there are some common types of injuries we see in people who have been the victims of auto collisions.
- Head and Brain Injuries — This can include concussions or other traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, skull fractures, or lacerations that require plastic surgery.
- Neck and Back Injuries — This could include whiplash, herniated discs, spinal cord damage, sprains, or strains.
- Burn Injuries — Burns can run the spectrum from minor to fatal. Serious burns may require skin grafts and result in scarring.
- Soft Tissue Injuries — When muscles, tendons, or ligaments are stretched or torn in an accident, the pain can be significant and lingering.
- Spinal Injuries – When the spinal cord is damaged, and the severity of the injury, a loss of movement or sensation in the lower extremities may result.
- Broken Bones — Broken bones can be extremely painful, may require surgery to fix, and can take a very long time to heal.
Why Medical Attention is So Important
Your injury may seem minor, or your pain or symptoms may have started a little while after the crash, and you might think your pain will just go away on its own.
Many of the injuries we see after car accidents aren’t immediately apparent after the collision. It may take days for your neck or back to start to hurt, even though the damage was caused by the collision. And if not treated, many types of injuries will just get worse and cause other problems for you.
You could find that something that starts as a twinge in your back becomes a pain that radiates down your arm or leg and affects your range of motion and ability to perform everyday tasks. Or you could find that a chronic headache you thought was just stress actually is a symptom of a brain injury caused by the impact of the collision.
For your own health and well-being, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you start to experience symptoms. But it’s also important so you can make a claim to get your medical costs paid. Some injuries don’t show up on x-rays, and if you didn’t immediately seek medical attention, insurance companies will dispute your claim even though your pain and suffering are very real.
Common Types of Car Crashes
The kinds of injuries you suffered in the crash will depend upon a variety of factors, including speed, the angle of the crash, the weight of the vehicles. Different kinds of crashes tend to be more likely to cause certain kinds of injuries.
- Head-On Collisions — Head-on collisions can be deadly, or result in very serious injuries. Common injuries seen in head-on collisions include head and brain injuries, back and spinal cord injuries, whiplash, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, lost limbs, and serious cuts.
- Rear-End Crashes — Whiplash is probably the most common type of injury experienced in rear-end collisions, although other types of neck and back injuries also are frequent. Other injury types are often seen in rear-end collisions include head injuries and soft-tissue injuries.
- Side Impact Accidents — You’re more likely to be hurt in a side-impact collision if you’re on the side of the vehicle where the impact happens. Common injuries in these collisions include head and brain injuries, neck injuries, back injuries, chest injuries, abdominal injuries, pelvic injuries, limb injuries, and soft tissue injuries.
- Fatal Crashes — In very serious crashes, head injuries, burns, and crushing injuries are the most likely to result in fatalities.
- SUV Rollover Crashes — SUVs have a higher center of gravity than many other types of vehicles, and are prone to rolling in a crash, or sometimes just taking a corner too fast. Broken bones, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and soft tissue injuries are common in this type of accident.
- Commercial Vehicle and Truck Crashes — When a commercial vehicle such as a truck hits a smaller personal vehicle, the results can be catastrophic because of the commercial vehicle’s size and weight. Injuries may include head injuries, broken bones, crushing injuries, spinal cord injuries, burns, or even exposure to hazardous chemicals depending upon the commercial vehicle’s load.
Call Staver for Help
Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. can help you manage the paperwork, insurance adjusters, and defense attorneys so you can focus on your health and getting the appropriate treatment. Call (312) 236-2900 today for a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.
