The Potential Physical Effects Of A Car Accident
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
The physical effects of a car accident can vary widely. These injuries can fall onto a spectrum of barely noticeable all the way to deadly or life threatening, and many will impact your life in some way or another. Some of the most common physical effects of a car accident include:• Cuts and lacerations – Cuts are most commonly caused by contact with sharp metal or broken glass during a St. Petersburg car accident, but objects in the car may lead to cuts as well. If these cuts are allowed to go untreated, they can come with a secondary and sometimes even more severe effect which is infection. Particularly severe cuts may result in scarring, which can lead to major quality of life changes or the need for expensive cosmetic surgery treatments.
• Soft tissue damage and injuries – Soft tissue injuries aren’t always immediately noticeable. In many cases, individuals who have been in a St. Petersburg car accident will turn down medical attention believing they are okay, only to wake up the next day with painful soreness, stiffness, or outright pain. In these cases, typically a soft tissue injury is present, and their decision to wait to seek medical attention can hurt their chance for a successful claim and compensation. These soft tissue injuries are usually caused by the sudden and awkward body motions you go through at the time of a collision, which can lead to bruising, tearing, and straining of soft tissue. Untreated soft tissue damage may lead to chronic pain conditions going forward.
• Burns – Burns are a surprising physical effect of many car accidents. When people think of getting into a car accident, they usually think of injuries like cuts and broken bones, not the burning of the skin. Burns usually occur when fuel or gas lines are ruptured triggering a fire, contact burns by touching hot parts of a car, or friction burns from seat belts, airbags, or being dragged (like in the case of a motorcycle accident.) Burns can lead to permanent scarring requiring cosmetic procedures, pain, and potentially deadly infection.
• Traumatic brain injuries – Traumatic brain injuries aren’t always the injuries you can see, but these physical effects can be some of the most devastating and longest lasting of all car accident injuries. Traumatic brain injuries don’t need to be caused by dramatic or extreme car accidents, and a low-speed fender-bender that causes a person to hit their head on the window or steering wheel can be just enough to affect the brain. Because of shock and adrenaline at the time of an accident, you may not realize you have suffered a traumatic brain injury until after the fact. A severe traumatic brain injury can lead to permanent and lifelong disability or death.
• Back injuries – Your back is tasked with carrying the weight of your body throughout everyday life. A slipped or bulging disc caused by a St. Petersburg car accident can cause a person to lose work for weeks, months, years, or even permanently, never mind the need for surgery, or intense chronic pain.
Suffering any of the physical effects of a St. Petersburg car accident can put a person in a very difficult position. They may have mounting medical bills, they may be in serious and chronic pain, they may now be facing job loss and wondering how they’re going to keep themselves afloat. If you’ve been in a car accident in the St. Petersburg area and you’re looking for representation to ensure you’re able to get the compensation you deserve, contact us at TheStPeteLawyer.com to see how we can help today.