Car accidents can lead to severe injuries in some cases. In others, the injuries might be mild and might only encompass bruises, scratches, and scrapes. There’s no real way to tell how intense the injuries someone gets from a car accident are likely to be. A Louisiana car wreck lawyer typically deals with car accident cases involving all types of injuries. A car accident case can be a complicated matter in some situations. Injuries might require medical treatment that could cost a lot. In some cases, a car might crash into a house or a business, leading to property damages. These economic damages are just as important as physical injuries.
A common injury is any injury that might happen as a regular matter of course. An automobile injury from a crash can lead to untold suffering for the individual. Medical bills could run into the tens of thousands. When cars crash, they apply massive amounts of force to each other. Usually, safety materials such as safety belts and airbags deploy to help manage the crash damages. Unfortunately, there are still injuries that result from this type of accident that need medical attention to deal with. Insurance companies usually spend a lot of money investigating these accidents to show their client isn’t at fault. This helps them mitigate the amount they have to pay out in medical expenses to the injured party.
The most common type of injuries that you’ll see from accidents tend to fall into broad categories. Auto accidents might cause serious damage to a person’s body because of the massive forces acting on them. There is a one-in-five chance of you becoming injured in a car accident. Taking that chance means that you may not be able to work while you recover and might even have serious internal damage as a result. These are the most common injuries you might have to deal with due to a car crash.
1. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
TBIs can have potentially life-threatening effects. When a person suffers a TBI, their brain tissue gets damaged by the impact of the crash. The CDC states that around 1.7 million people suffer from TBIs from car accidents annually. TBIs typically result from a collision that violently shakes a person’s skull. They are quite typical in head-on collisions. The brain is battered within the skull, leading to injuries to the grey matter at the surface. The forces involved in a car accident are harsh and can typically lead to this type of injury from the initial impact or further impacts resulting from the car turning or running into something else. TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe. Depending on the intensity of the damage, the effects might be long-lasting or may just lead to disorientation for a few hours. The symptoms of TBIs include:
- Loss of memory
- Vomiting or Nausea
- Double vision or blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Headache
Unfortunately, TBIs can be difficult to diagnose correctly since they might overlap with other injuries. Observation is usually the key to figuring out if you have a TBI and what to do about it.
2. Spinal Cord Injuries
Back injuries or spinal cord injuries can be common, but it all depends on the angle and the force of the collision. Rear-end collisions specifically can lead to severe back and spinal cord damage. Back damage typically results from the massive forces imparted to a person’s body during a car accident. These injuries may also vary in complication and intensity. A light back injury might continue undiagnosed for some time until it worsens. Some of the most common back injuries include things like ruptured discs or herniated discs that make it difficult to sit, lie, or walk.
Diagnosis of spinal injuries usually happens when a patient presents with complaints about back pain. Continued back pain can be uncomfortable and lead a patient to go to a doctor for a diagnosis. These injuries might not be permanent, but they can get worse over time if they’re not dealt with. In worst-case scenarios, you might be facing paralysis alongside years of back pain because of these injuries. Typically, individuals who have been in a rear-end car accident should get their backs checked out.
3. Broken Bones
The human skeleton is a remarkable structure that gives our bodies shape. It is strong thanks to the calcium that we’ve infused into our bones to stop us from collapsing. However, in a car crash, the forces that impact on the bones can snap them. Broken bones can result from a human body careening around the inside of a car, or from the body encountering an immovable object. While broken bones happen in places outside of these types of accidents, they will need medical care to heal properly. X-rays can be submitted to insurance companies to get them to cover the costs of the bills. Rollover accidents and rear-end accidents can end up with these injuries as a part of the fallout from that damage.
4. Internal Injuries or Bleeding
Accident victims may find themselves in a situation where they have internal bleeding thanks to the damages from a crash. A severe motor vehicle accident could potentially lead to this situation and cause untold damage to a person’s anatomy. Internal injuries aren’t limited to bleeding, however. It’s not uncommon to run into injuries such as ruptured organs, and other severe injuries that require surgery or other intensive medical care to deal with.
The Causes of These Common Injuries
Drunk driving leads to accidents, and it’s something that every driver knows from the time they take their first exam. However, there may be other factors that affect these motor vehicle crashes. Distracted driving may also feature as a cause of these serious injuries. A traffic accident might even be caused by a distracted driver trying to do something they should not be doing while at the wheel.
Aggressive driving can also be a cause, as speeding may cause a person to lose control of their vehicle. If a driver goes over the speed limit, they endanger others in the vicinity. Incidences of road rage can and do lead to injury for other vehicles involved. The negligent driver might be sorry, but that doesn’t mean that it fixes the traffic accident or the pain and suffering that the injured party has to go through. Personal Injury Attorneys can work to get a car accident settlement that is fair compensation for the damages that the victim had to deal with.
Speeding is a separate situation from reckless driving. A reckless driver could cause massive damage at an accident scene, including property damage and potentially fatal crashes because of their inability to control their car. Drowsy driving can also lead to accidents that could otherwise be avoided. AN accident report usually contains information on these crashes. The police collect that info and keep it in an easily accessible location.
Drunk driving is another common occurrence that could lead to an accident injury. Drunk driving accidents are a terrible accident type to deal with. A Louisiana car wreck lawyer typically deals with this type of accident with great care. Drunk drivers have reduced reaction time when dealing with their car. As a result, they endanger other road users and typically cause traffic collisions because of their condition. A Louisiana car wreck lawyer will typically consult with the auto insurance policy for the drivers to see if they’re covered. If they are, they can file insurance claims against the policy provider or the negligent party directly.
A personal injury claim might be made by accident lawyers to an insurance company. The company might send over an insurance adjuster to verify the particulars of the accident claim so that they can decide whether they should settle out of court or take the matter to a judge. Typically, an insurance firm will avoid taking automobile accidents to court if their client is the at-fault driver. The driver has a duty of care to pedestrians, and if they perform actions that endanger the lives of others, they may be liable to cover damages.
Settlements from a Personal Injury Lawsuit
A personal injury law firm might accept the case on your behalf to bring it against the guilty party or the insurer. If the case settles out of court, the guilty party may have to pay damages to the injured individuals. These may include covering hospital bills and other financial compensation. However, a judge might request further damages to ensure that the at-fault party learns a lesson. They may also require that the liable party pay non-economic damages or leverage punitive damages on the final settlement. Punitive damages are usually used as a deterrent to stop others from doing something similar. The responsible party needs to be held accountable for their actions.
Some of the other compensation you can get in a settlement includes payment for loss of enjoyment. Emotional distress may mean a person has to deal with trauma for years afterward. Compensatory damages may also include additional payments for loss of consortium or loss of income, depending on if the person is unable to work after they get into the crash. In the case of a fatal accident, other considerations may need to be made. An insurance carrier might need to pay out for a wrongful death claim. These may include burial expenses as well as other impacts on the survivor’s quality of life.
Seeking Out a Louisiana Car Wreck Lawyer to Settle a Case
While you can theoretically deal with common car accident injuries on your own, it’s much better to contact an experienced Louisiana car wreck lawyer to help you through the process. Accident lawsuits can be complicated, requiring skilled professionals like accident reconstruction experts to help you get the details of the case worked out. Issues like the police report and maximum compensation can be handled exclusively by your legal counsel. Don’t hesitate to give us a call today, and let’s help you get your case sorted out.