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4 Common Injuries to Check for After Any Car Accident
The roads have become one of the deadliest places to drive through. Globally, around 20-50 million people get injured annually due to road accidents. In the United States, the NHTSA approximates more than 3 million people get injuries from road accidents annually.
The following are four common injuries after a vehicle accident.
Whiplash
Whenever there is a sudden stop, such as in a car accident, inertia carries your head forward while your body is jerked back in your seat, causing whiplash. Even as your head is stopped by the connection at your neck, your brain can rattle against the inside of your skull enough to cause damage depending on the suddenness of the stop.
The damage to your neck and even minor brain trauma may go unnoticed at first, but neck pain, headaches, and concussion symptoms may be noticed later. This is why it’s best to drop by a doctor or have a paramedic check you out after any high-speed car accident, even if you seem otherwise fine or other injuries appear minor.
Head injuries
Head injuries may be minor or severe, depending on the impact of the accidents. Despite being life-saving devices, the blow from your airbag can be enough to cause a concussion, and when the airbag is not deployed in time you may slam your head against the steering wheel.
Glass shards from broken windows may also be blown into the face and scalp, and burns can occur at any point on the body from a major accident, including the head. Even if you don’t see any external signs of injury to your head, a slight headache or ringing in the ears can be an indication of internal damage that needs to be evaluated immediately.
Back and Spinal Injuries
Along with damage to your neck from whiplash, sudden stops put a great deal of strain on your entire spinal column. While this can be reduced with the proper use of a seatbelt, issues such as upper or lower back strain, herniated discs, and surrounding tissue damage is common in high speed accidents.
If you feel sore, stiff, or otherwise pained in your upper, middle, or lower back directly after an accident, you’ll likely need car accident treatment from a chiropractor. These minor pains often indicate more extensive damage and left untreated can cause greater injury later on.
Burns
Whether it’s a heat burn from the electrical components of your car, from a fire that may start, or even a friction burn from the steering wheel, seat belt, or airbag, burns are common in car accidents. This is especially true for burns on the hands, as they are situated out in front of you in direct line of fire of most of the car’s movable components during the crash.
Minor burns will hurt a great deal more than major ones as nerve damage indicates the depth of the burn, so don’t think you’re safe to self-treat any burn injury simply based on pain level. Any burn should be seen by a paramedic or ER doctor to ensure there is no residue trapped in the tissue, to sterilize the wound, and to properly cover and treat the injury so you are able to regain total mobility of the injured part as well as avoid infection.
You should get a car accident treatment, even if you have minor bruises. Some injuries don’t show any instant signs and require a scan for identification. Some injuries even take weeks or months for you to start experiencing discomforts. However, put in the safety belt while in a vehicle to avoid some of these severe injuries.
