Vehicle collisions are, unfortunately, a common occurrence in New York State. According to the New York State Department of Health, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury-related death for New Yorkers. Every year, on average, there are about 12,100 hospitalizations for people with crash-related injuries.
These are the most obvious car accident-related injuries, but these numbers do not tell the story of how many other injuries occur.
“The problem with serious car accident injuries is you do not always know right away if there will be ongoing health or injury issues because some injuries take longer to emerge.” – Howard Raphaelson, partner at Raphaelson & Levine
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
Generally, there are a few types of common injuries people suffer from after being involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Neck, Back and, Spinal Injuries
Neck, back, and spinal injuries are common types of injuries suffered after a crash. People often struggle with injuries such as whiplash, spinal cord damage, strains, sprains, or herniated discs.
Head and Brain Injuries
A head injury is often one of the most difficult diagnoses because it is common for new symptoms to emerge later on. A brain injury can be a concussion, internal bleeding, skull fracture, or shearing of brain tissues, to name a few types of brain injuries. All of these can have an ongoing or permanent effect on a car accident victim and are sometimes hard to detect.
Burn Injuries
Depending on the nature of the accident, a victim can suffer a burn from a car fire, electrocution, exposure to hot steam or metal, or contact with spilled chemicals.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries can affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries may cause stiffness, swelling, reduced range of motion, and pain that worsens after the adrenaline of the crash wears off.
Internal Injuries
Internal injuries are especially dangerous because symptoms may be delayed. Abdominal pain, dizziness, bruising, shortness of breath, or weakness after a collision should be evaluated by a medical professional as soon as possible.
What Should You Do After a Crash?
After a collision, seek medical attention, report the accident, document the scene when possible, preserve records, and avoid making recorded statements to insurance companies before understanding your rights.
Silver Law Group helps injured New Yorkers understand the value of their claims and pursue compensation for medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses connected to a serious vehicle collision.