What Is the Most Common Injury in a Car Accident?

Car accidents are a leading cause of accidental deaths and injuries in the country each year. These incidents result in tremendous economic damages in the form of hospital bills for injured victims, lost income while they are unable to work, and lost productivity for their employers. Navigating the aftermath of any car accident can be difficult, especially one resulting in severe injuries.

Accident data from various state and federal agencies highlights a few of the risk factors all drivers face when they take to the roads of California. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and various other agencies, car accidents are responsible for causing a wide range of injuries, the most commonly reported of which are soft tissue injuries.

What Is a Soft Tissue Injury?

The body’s soft tissues include muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Soft tissue injuries are especially common around joints like the wrists, ankles, shoulders, knees, and elbows. These injuries can include tears in muscle fiber or connective tissues, overexertion, and hyperextension. When these injuries occur, they often heal completely with time, rest, and appropriate medical care. However, severe soft tissue injuries can necessitate surgery and pose many long-term adverse symptoms to victims.

The victim of a car accident may sustain multiple soft tissue injuries depending on how their accident occurred. One of the most commonly reported severe soft tissue injuries from a car accident is whiplash, a condition characterized by soft tissue injuries in the head, neck, upper back, and shoulders. Whiplash can cause a wide range of symptoms, from stiffness and pain to nerve damage and even sensory disruptions.

Other Injuries Reported From Car Accidents

Soft tissue injuries may be the most commonly reported injuries from vehicle accidents, but they are not the only injuries a victim can sustain in a serious accident. Some of the other commonly reported motor vehicle accident injuries in California include:

• Broken bones, some of which may demand surgery to correct. Some fractures heal completely, while others result in long-term disabilities like reduced flexibility and diminished range of motion.
• Back injuries. Whiplash is just one of many possible back injuries a car accident can cause. Back injuries are especially debilitating, often interfering with mobility and the ability to work.
• Facial injuries, which may result in permanent disfigurement and psychological trauma as well as physical pain.
• Spinal cord injuries. The spinal cord cannot heal itself from an injury like the rest of your body, so spinal cord injuries are permanent and highly damaging, potentially resulting in paralysis.
• Traumatic brain injuries, which can easily cause all sorts of adverse complications, some of which can be permanent.

When one driver is responsible for injuries to another driver, the driver at fault is responsible for the injured driver’s damages under California’s fault-based system for car accidents. The injured driver may file a claim against the responsible driver’s policy, but this could only cover a portion of the victim’s total losses from a severe accident.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Car Accident

If you or someone you love recently sustained soft tissue injuries or other harm from a vehicle accident someone else caused, it is important that you consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible to determine your best options for legal recourse. The right attorney will provide invaluable guidance and ongoing support as your case unfolds. When you need to recover compensation for immediate and future medical expenses along with your other economic damages, reliable legal counsel is the best asset you can have for enhancing your final recovery.

Success with a claim against their insurance and a personal injury claim following a car accident in California requires proving who caused the accident and establishing the full range of resulting damages. The driver’s insurance may provide some compensation for the plaintiff, but any remaining losses will need to be secured through a personal injury claim against the defendant.

Some common causes of car accidents that cause soft tissue damage and other injuries to drivers in California are:

• Distracted driving, which is the leading cause of all vehicle collisions in the United States.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, which can lead to criminal prosecution of the driver at fault along with civil liability for victim damages.
• Speeding, which has a very high chance of causing catastrophic injuries.
• Moving violations, which disrupt traffic and can easily cause accidents.
• Vehicle malfunctions. These accidents may implicate a product manufacturer or a vehicle manufacturer as liable for an injured driver’s damages.
• Reckless driving, which can lead to criminal charges against the responsible driver.

Regardless of how your car accident happened, if another driver is responsible for causing it, you must seek legal representation as soon as possible if you want to recoup your losses. Your attorney can help you file a claim against their insurance policy to secure compensation as quickly as possible after your accident. If the fault is readily apparent, a good lawyer can secure an insurance settlement for their client very swiftly. If the plaintiff has outstanding damages that insurance can’t cover, they can proceed with a personal injury claim.

Recovering From Soft Tissue Injuries and Other Car Accident Damages

Auto insurance can provide some coverage for an injured driver after a car accident, but it is unlikely to fully compensate the entire scope of losses that a serious accident can cause. Working with an experienced car accident attorney not only increases the chances of maximizing the compensation you receive through insurance but also enables you to seek a fuller recovery with a personal injury claim.

Soft tissue injuries can easily cause long-term pain and discomfort, interfering with the victim’s life in many ways. They may have also suffered worse injuries, posing even greater challenges for the future. Whatever your situation may entail, Rush Injury Law can assist in your recovery after a serious car accident. If you are struggling with soft tissue injuries and other wounds from an accident someone else caused, contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your legal options in this difficult situation.