The Most Common Injuries Caused By Auto Accidents In St. Pete
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
St. Pete has the unfortunate reputation of having one of the more dangerous stretches of road in the entire state of Florida. The I-275 and Ulmerton Road have an astounding fatality rate of 4.57 deaths per mile, more than any other shorter stretch of road in Florida, and only beaten out by the lengthy US-19, which is the most dangerous highway in the country.Of course, the worst part of traffic accidents is that even if you’re not at fault for causing an accident, that doesn’t protect you from potentially being injured in such an accident. Here are the most common injuries to car accident victims in St. Pete.
Muscular Neck Injuries
One of the most common types of injuries, even in auto accidents that don’t result in broken bones or abrasions, is neck muscle injuries, with “whiplash” being, by far, the most common injury in auto accidents. This is because, unlike the rest of the body, which is protected by seat belts and airbags to prevent drastic movement, the head has no such protection.
The result is that during a sudden stop, such as a collision, the vehicle’s momentum continues to move the head forward, which is only stopped when the neck hits its limit and rapidly snaps back to its original position. This causes a strain on the muscles, resulting in pain, a lack of mobility in the neck, and other side effects.
Lacerations & Bruises
Another common set of injuries is lacerations, which are breaks on the skin most people think of as cuts or bruises, which is when a severe impact causes swelling and bursts the blood vessels just under the skin, causing discoloration in that area from the minor internal bleeding.
Lacerations occur when any number of things, including broken glass, shrapnel from sharp pieces of twisted metal, and other objects, cut the skin. Bruising is common since any body part that impacts a surface with enough force can be bruised.
Traumatic Brain Injury
More commonly known as TBI, this injury occurs when the brain impacts the skull. There is space between the brain and the skull, cushioned by fluids and tissues that try to act as shock absorbers for minor impacts. However, the physical forces of a high-speed collision can easily overcome these safeguards, causing the brain to impact the skull directly.
Because the brain controls so many aspects of the body, including intelligence, memory, emotions, reflexes, and even sexual arousal, a huge range of symptoms can arise from TBI. Everything from headaches, dizziness, vomiting, depression, inability to concentrate, and even sexual impotence is possible.
Bone Fractures
A final common injury is bone fractures. As with any rigid structure, bones have a tolerance point for how much force they can endure; beyond that, they break. Should any bone receive an impact that is severe enough, it can crack or fracture. Sometimes it is a “clean” single break, sometimes multiple pieces, but it is always serious.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in St. Pete and someone else is at fault, you are legally owed compensation. Talk to an experienced auto accident attorney about what you should do to get what you deserve.