Every year there is an average of 6 million car accidents in the US. These accidents result in over 3 million car injuries. Florida car accident injury statistics paint an even grimmer picture. In 2017, for instance, there were 402,385 accidents, which caused injuries to over 250,000 people, with more than 20,000 of these suffering incapacitating injuries. Immediately after receiving medical attention, you must consult a car crash attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve. It will also help you with your treatment and make up for the damage suffered.

Top Injuries From Car Accidents

Unfortunately, car accidents account for a considerable number of injuries. Injuries arising from car accidents range from small short term injuries to long term incapacitating injuries. And they can affect you emotionally and physically. Here is a look at top car accident injuries:

Shoulder Injuries From Car Accidents

Shoulder injuries are common in car accidents as they are extremely vulnerable. Even a minor accident can cause serious harm to your shoulder. The shoulder has an intricate muscle and bone structure that enables movement. Even a simple tear or strain on any muscle or tendon could affect its usual functioning. Common shoulder injuries from accidents include rotator cuff tears, shoulder joint tears, shoulder impingement, and fractures. Treatment for these ranges by severity and could require surgery and long term therapy to get the shoulder functioning optimally. A car crash attorney will help you get the money needed to take care of your medical bills.

Wrist Injury From Car Accidents

The wrist is made up of eight small bones held together by delicate ligaments and tendons. In the course of an accident, they are at high risk of being injured by the many objects they come into contact with, from the steering wheel and dashboard to the airbags and windshield and other items in motion. In several cases, wrist injuries may not present symptoms immediately and the extent of damage may not be clear until an MRI or X-Ray has been done. Wrist injuries include dislocation and sprains and range from grade one where the ligaments are strained but are still intact to grade three sprains where ligaments are completely torn through. Other wrist injuries include fractures and damaged tendons.

Rollover Car Accident Injuries

Rollover accidents happen when the driver of a car loses control, and the car swerves either to the front or on its side and keeps rolling. The nature of this type of accident makes it highly fatal and usually affects light trucks and SUV vehicles due to their high center of gravity.

The impact trauma and the movement resulting from rollover accidents affect five major body parts, upper and lower limbs, head and neck, thorax, and the abdomen. Most victims suffer multiple accidents in all these areas, with some of the injuries being detected long after the accident. With the help of a  car crash attorney you are able to successfully lodge your claims even if you discover the injuries later.

Soft Tissue Car Accident Injury

Soft tissue injuries are car accident injuries on other parts of the body other than the bone. They include damage to muscle, tendons, fascia, and ligaments. Furthermore, they vary from grade one where the injuries take about two weeks to heal to grade three injuries where the damage is severe and requires urgent treatment, and take longer to heal. You need a car crash attorney to help you establish fault as soon as possible to allow you get the medical attention necessary.

They can be hard to detect since they can be easily missed by imaging devices and can happen far from the point of injury. When not adequately treated, they can lead to further complications as well as a lower quality of life.

Serious Car Accident Injuries

Serious car accident injuries need immediate attention. They usually end up in long-term treatment and will most likely impact your life forever. A car crash attorney needs to be involved to help you quantify the damages and ensure you get the right settlement.

T-Bone Car Accident Injuries

T-bone accidents happen when the front of one car or car crashes onto the side of another vehicle. They are also known as broadside collisions. The force generated in these accidents results in serious injuries. Even at low speeds, for example, 35km/h, these car accidents can cause long-term debilitating injuries. The body parts at most risk are your neck, head, spinal cord, and limbs. While the severity may depend on factors such as seatbelt use, force and impact angle, T-bone accidents often result in bone fractures in the hips arms and legs, concussions, herniated discs, chest injuries, and whiplash and sprained or even a broken neck.

There is also considerable emotional harm from such a severe car accident, and victims may end up suffering from PTSD. Another long term risk of injuries from broadside collisions is paralysis resulting in loss of mobility or use of a part of the body forever. T-Bone accidents settlements are complex and require the help of a car crash attorney in their resolution.

Types of Brain Injuries From Car Accidents

Almost all brain injuries from car accidents are Traumatic Brain Injuries. Traumatic brain injury is a category of injuries to the head that comes as a result of the application of an external force to the head. There are five main types of brain injury;

• A concussion – happens when the brain hits the inside part of your skull due to an abrupt change in movement or momentum, which occurs in a car accident.
• A contusion – is a bruise on the brain, often causing localized bleeding. It is caused by the impact of objects hitting the head or knocking your head on objects and surfaces in the car during an accident. It could be minor or severe.
• Penetrating injuries happen when objects in the vehicle during an accident pierce the skull and the brain. It is also known as an open head injury, and requires urgent attention and long term care.
• Coup- contrecoup injuries result in the brain being harmed in two places because of the impact generated by the object and the second when the brain crashes on the skull.
• Diffuse Axonal Injury happens when the brain is under extreme forces and it is moved around affecting its connection with the rest of the body.

Car Accident Head Injury Statistics

Head injuries from car accidents all fall under Traumatic Brain Injury. National statistics on TBI show that car accidents account for 50% to 70% of all TBI injuries in the country. Even more saddening are the findings by the CDC that car accidents are the leading cause of deaths resulting from TBI among people aged 15 to 34 years old. Suing for wrongful death is a complex process and you will need an experienced car crash attorney to defend your rights.

The severity of head injuries varies but can often lead to permanent damage regardless of the force. Actress Rose Mcgowan’s car accident injuries are a perfect example of the lasting damage a seemingly small head injury can have. She was involved in a valet accident where her head collided with a car door and has since then lost her sense of smell as she revealed years later. While her sense of taste has improved, she has to live without one of her senses, exposing her to dangers like not being able to detect gas leaks.

Car Accident Settlements In Florida

Under the Florida personal injury law, specific requirements have to be met in order for one to issue a third-party claim for car accident personal injury. The amount of money awarded as a settlement is dependent on several factors like the nature of the accident, the insurance policy, and the severity of the accident. A car crash attorney helps you increase your chances for better compensation and fewer complications.

Car Accident Neck Injury Settlement Amount

Neck injuries are primarily the result of whiplash. Where the injured does not have an insurance policy, the settlements usually range between $5000 and $50,000. However, should the treatment involve more costly procedures and your life be severely affected or the injuries permanent, the settlement can get to several hundred thousands of dollars. It also depends on whether the other party is partially or fully at fault.

How Much Is A Back Injury Worth In A Car Accident

The amount your car crash attorney helps you get as a settlement for back injuries after a car accident largely depends on the type of accident. For example, paralysis injuries receive the highest compensation, followed by those who have fused vertebrae necessitating the use of a pain pump. After these, people who have suffered from compression fractures and those whose treatment has required surgery get more significant settlements. Other factors, including loss of wages and the pain and suffering caused, are also factored in.

Post Concussion Syndrome Car Accident Settlement

Post-concussion syndrome is a condition that results from suffering a head injury, and in the case of a car accident, it is a common occurrence. Doctors are able to diagnose it depending on the symptoms exhibited and if you suffered from head trauma resulting in a concussion. It can be a debilitating condition with recovery requiring a month or even several years. Compensation depends on several pieces of evidence and expert witnesses and how the car crash attorney presents your case . Settlement largely depends on the treatment period and impact the condition has on one’s life.

T-Bone Car Accident Settlement

T- Bone car accidents usually result in multiple injuries and are often accompanied by greater special damages. Compensatory damages in a T-Bone car accident include medical bills, lost wages and earning capacity, future care and treatment, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, vehicle repairs, and others you and your car crash attorney can be able to demonstrate. As such, the settlement varies greatly.

For example, a woman in California was a victim of a broadside and suffered a herniated disc that required spinal fusion surgery. She was awarded $230,000. In 2016, a 40-year-old man was slammed on the front side of his car by an SUV resulting in multiple injuries including cervical, hip and lumbar strain, PTSD, concussion, and others. There was no liability dispute, and medical bills were over $125,000. He received a settlement of $1.2 million. In another instance, husband and wife were sideswiped incurring neck and back injuries respectively and were awarded $520,000. This just goes to show the uniqueness of various cases and circumstances.

Average Settlement For Rear-End Car Accident

Rear-end car crashes account for a third of all highway accidents every year, which means there have been plenty of settlements over the course of time. Unfortunately, there is no proper average, and even then, it may not apply to you. Examples of past awards include $25,000 for a driver who was hit at a stop sign and sustained neck and low back pain requiring extended physical therapy. In another example, a victim of rear-ending was awarded $300,000 after a rear-end car accident resulted in disc protrusion, a broken hand, and nerve damage.

Car Accident Injury Settlement Calculator

If you are involved in a car accident, it is understandable to want to know what you could get as compensation. For this reason, there are several car accident injury settlement calculators. All calculators and attempts at estimating the settlements factor in two kinds of damages, economic damages also called special damages and non-economic costs, also called general costs.

Economic damages are easily quantifiable, covering things like medical bills and loss of wages. On the other hand, general costs can be hard to assign a monetary value. In-car accidents, they are usually pain and suffering. A car accident injury settlement calculator uses two methods in trying to estimate the value of the general damages. The first method uses a multiplier (a number from 1.5 to 5) and multiplies it to the total sum of the special damages. The contentious part is arriving at the multiplier value.

In the other formula, the value of pain and suffering is created by assigning daily rates for every day you will have to live with the pain and suffering. Your current regular earnings are a starting point and are multiplied by the number of days you will have pain and suffering. This method is not useful when calculating long term injury and loss of life.

It is, however, essential to note that even with extra parts to how a settlement calculator can increase its sensitivity, you will be looking at an estimate only. It can only provide you with a starting point and does not cover all the factors including past jury awards and potentially any defense from the at-fault party. Working with a car crash attorney enables you to have a well-informed estimate that factors in past settlements in your specific location as well as other legal considerations, including policy limits.

Lying About Car Accident Injuries

It is not uncommon for people involved in an accident to lie about the incident. In the hope of either earning a higher settlement or reducing the amount liable, both parties occasionally try to exaggerate or omit crucial details about the accident. For the party seeking compensation, lying is actually harmful to your case as it damages your credibility. Exaggerating injuries can be quickly determined by medical reports. Even aspects like pain and suffering have to be measured against the injuries and the quality of life you are currently leading. Once your claims have been disproven, even actual injuries will appear false before the jury.

Can you sue someone for lying about a car accident?

Yes, you can, if you have been denied a settlement, or the amount being offered does not cover damages done to you, based on his or her false account. Furthermore, you can also sue to contest against false claims made by the party seeking compensation. In the latter case, inform your insurance company, giving accurate details of the events and any evidence you could be behaving.

In the case where the lying part is the defendant, you will need to have sufficient evidence, a police report of the incident, and an experienced car crash attorney to help you back your facts and deconstruct the lying party’s claims.

Lying to police about a car accident

Lying to the police about a car accident is a criminal offense. You can be charged for a spectrum of offenses from making a false witness to obstruction of justice. Whether you are found guilty or not, the damage is done, and the police’s account can be used as evidence against you in a settlement suit. It also damages your relationship with your car crash attorney.

Lying to your insurance company about a car accident

Lying to your insurance company about a car accident is one of the worst mistakes you can make. The insurance company has resources and people with years of experience in investigating car accidents. They eventually find out the truth and have a right to demand that your claim be dismissed, which kills your case. Even if it goes ahead, your credibility will be damaged. Further, the lies affect your relationship with your insurer. Should you receive claims based on lies and the truth is later discovered, you could be sued for fraud too. If you are not sure of certain events about the accidents you should not state them as fact. Alert the police, get an attorney, and contact your insurance company.

Car accidents FAQs

In terms of impulse and momentum, why do airbags reduce the chances of injury in an accident?

Airbags reduce the risk of serious injury by countering Newton’s First Law of motion that states, an object in motion will continue to move at its present speed and direction unless an external force acts on the object. People in a car continue traveling at the same pace their vehicles were going even if the cars crash. If their momentum is stopped suddenly by saying the dashboard, the force generated is extremely high and results in serious injury. However, airbags increase the time the force is applied to the object in this case, people and reduces the force. This effect causes a lesser force to be applied over a longer duration, thus lessening the impact.

How much is a back injury worth in a car accident?

A back injury’s value in a car accident depends on several factors. First, the extent of the injury and the treatment procedure. Severe injuries often require surgery, and thus they earn higher settlements. The number of special damages you can prove also adds up to the final cost of the injury. Therefore the worth is relative depending on a number of considerations and having an excellent car crash attorney.

What to do after a car accident injury

Being in an accident, especially one that results in an injury, can cause anxiety and confusion an on what to do. However, it is vital that you keep your rational mind and at the very least do the following;

• First check yourself for injuries and the well-being of your passengers if you had any, get to safety and call 911.
• Wait for help, and if you can secure the car using flares and turn on your hazard lights.
• Exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver but avoid discussing details of who is at fault.
• Protect yourself by documenting the accident by taking pictures of the scene, getting a copy of the police report, the identity of officers at the scene, and talk to witnesses.
• Notify your insurer of the accident and if you are planning on making claims or facing them to notify a car crash attorney.

How much can you get from a wrist injury car accident?

As with any injury from a car accident, thee writ injury compensation will depend on the circumstances around the injury. If you can be able to prove liability at trial thee amount is higher, wrist injuries that cause loss of permanent function also get higher awards as well as injuries judged to cause more pain and suffering like fractures.

What to do in a car accident no injuries

Car accidents with no injuries are the most common form of accidents. If you happen to be in one, do not simply brush it off or assume issues because of no perceivable injury or minor damages. Here is the checklist to follow.

• Make a safety assessment of you and any passenger you have checking for pain in tissues, cuts, sprains, etc.
• Pull to a safe place to investigate the damage done and the scene of the accident.
• Take photos of the vehicle, the location of the accident and the scene
• Exchange necessary information with the other driver
• Inform the police of the accident and follow up to get a police report
• Go to the hospital for a checkup
• Get the car assessed and receive an estimate quote for repairs
• Inform your insurance company of the accident.

What injuries get you money in a car accident?

Any injury can potentially earn you money in a car accident if you have a legitimate claim. The amount of money will differ based on the type of injury. Some injuries cause more pain and suffering and may take more time than others. Your injuries could also change your way of life permanently or require treatment for the rest of your life. These cases earn you more money. At the core of any settlement is the need to prove fault. If the other party is entirely at fault, your amount of compensation rises. A car crash attorney is essential in navigating the complexities of these cases.

Can my social security be garnished for a car accident with a bodily injury?

Yes. Your social security can be garnished to cover restitution to a victim after award by a civil judgment. Car accident injuries fall under this category, and part of your social security can be used to cover the claims should you not have other assets that can cater for the costs.

When should I hire a lawyer for a car accident with no injuries?

Even in an instance where there were no injuries, you may need to get a car crash attorney in the following situations;

1. There is a dispute over who is liable, and you need proper examining of the evidence
2. You have been served with documentation that you are involved in a lawsuit
3. When you have been denied due settlement over technicalities
4. When an insurance company reaches out to you offering a settlement
5. If you need to renegotiate a settlement
6. When you are not sure of the process to follow

References And Resources

• NHTSA – U.S. Car Accident Statistics
• Florida Auto Accident Statistics
• Mcgowan’s Car Accident Injuries
• Florida Personal Injury Law
• Rear-End Car Crashes

Posted in General | Comments Off on Bad Car Accident Injuries