Common Car Accident Injuries In Fort Wayne, Indiana
With more than 253 million cars in the U.S., car accidents serve as one of the leading causes of injuries. Those injuries can range from minor to severe, and many auto accidents result in fatalities. At Truitt Law Offices, we know how those injuries often carry significant costs, including medical care expenses and loss of income. For more than 40 years, we have helped car accident victims to pursue the compensation they deserve. If you need help after a car accident, contact us right away to discuss your case.
What Are Some Common Car Accident Injuries in Fort Wayne, IN?
Here are just some of the common car accident injuries that we frequently see in the Fort Wayne and Huntington areas:
Broken Bones
On average, automobiles weigh about 2,800 pounds. That’s almost a ton and a half of metal and moving parts. When two vehicles collide, even at slow speeds, occupants can become trapped, and their arms and legs can get twisted or crushed, causing serious fractures. A broken bone can lead to early arthritis and a lifetime of aches and pains.
Cuts and Lacerations
Sharp edges, broken plastic, and twisted steel can easily cut through skin and cause severe bleeding in an accident. Broken bones can also sever veins and arteries, leading to internal and external bleeding. Blood loss may produce shock and require emergency surgery.
Scarring and Disfigurement
It’s not just the injuries caused by a crash that can affect a person for years to come. Unsightly and embarrassing scars can also be a lasting reminder of the trauma inflicted by a car accident. Many scars may be due to the actual injuries, while others may be daily reminders of a surgery that was needed to save a person’s life.
Soft Tissue Damage
Muscles, tendons and ligaments can also be injured in a car accident. The shaking and volatile, back-and-forth action created in a crash can strain muscles and cause painful sprains. One of the most common examples of soft tissue damage is whiplash, where the head and neck get whipped forward and backward, leading to torn and inflamed muscle tissue in the neck and upper back. It’s not just broken bones that lead to lengthy recovery times. A serious soft tissue injury can take months to resolve, require physical therapy, and keep a person from working or enjoying life as he or she did before the crash.
Burns
Fires sometimes break out after a car accident. This can happen when hazardous chemicals are involved, or when gas lines are torn open. All it takes is gas and a spark to cause horrible burn injuries. Other burns occur due to airbags deploying rapidly, leaving red patches all over a person’s body.
Back / Disc Injury
In your back, the spaces that separate your vertebrae are known as discs. These structures protect the spinal cord and allow for flexibility and mobility. When they are injured, it can be extremely painful. Because a person’s body is shaken so violently in a crash, a person can rupture or herniate a disc. This can lead to nerves being pinched or even a bulging disc that requires surgery. Many disc injuries require a painful discogram procedure as well as expensive MRIs and CT scans. In severe cases, a surgery known as a fusion may be necessary. These are extremely costly procedures that can forever limit a person’s ability to perform some tasks like stooping, bending or even getting a good night’s sleep.
Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common yet frequently misdiagnosed injuries that people suffer in car accidents. Brain injury occurs for several reasons, including:
- A blow to the head (like hitting your head on the steering wheel)
- A puncture wound or cracked skull
- Explosion or blast-related injury
- Diffuse axonal injury (where the brain is shaken inside the skull – like in a wreck). A TBI is not an abstract or rare injury. Rather, it can be objectively proven through proper medical diagnostics such as a CT scan or MRI. Physicians can use diagnostic imaging, along with a clear patient history and full examination, to diagnose a TBI such as a concussion.
Spinal Cord Injury
Maybe the most severe injury a person can suffer in a car accident, short of death, is a spinal cord injury. Depending on how high in the spine the damage occurs, it can lead to partial or even complete paralysis below that point. Spinal cord injuries often lead to a person being confined to a wheelchair or losing the ability to sustain certain functions without assistance such as the use of extremities, bowel and bladder control and even breathing.
Internal Bleeding / Organ Damage
With severe blunt force trauma or punctures and lacerations, internal organs can be damaged. This can result in emergency surgeries and even transplants to replace damaged organs. People who suffer a serious traumatic event with heavy bleeding often require medication and a lengthy healing period. Organs that are damaged may require permanent medication therapies in order to keep them functioning properly.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
When a person survives a traumatic and terrifying event, the person can develop a form of anxiety, which can be easily triggered by familiar reminders. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not uncommon for those who have survived a serious car accident. It can lead to:
- Hypervigilance
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Lack of sleep
- Nightmares
- Fear of being in a car
- Feelings of re-living the traumatic experience
- Mood or behavior changes
PTSD can change a person’s life by making them unable to take part in ordinary activities. It can also put a strain on relationships and burden others in the family. If you suspect PTSD following a car accident, you should ask your family doctor to refer you to a qualified mental health professional who can test you and properly diagnose the condition.
Getting Help After a Car Accident in Fort Wayne
Whether you have suffered back pain and headaches or a severe life-altering injury, our legal team at Truitt Law Offices wants to help you. Contact us to set up a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. Before you ever speak to the insurance company, make sure you have talked to a lawyer first. Time is limited for seeking compensation. So, don’t delay.
