Vehicle crashes are the third top cause of preventable injury in the United States. Regardless of the accident cause, the aftermath of injuries are often devastating. A driver in Fairmont, West Virginia, may experience several types of injuries from an auto accident.
Soft tissue injury
A soft tissue injury damages the skin, muscles, ligaments, and tendons from the accident impact, often from a harsh jolt. Cuts and lacerations are soft tissue injuries that can be either major or minor, often occurring from flying debris or glass.
Examples of soft tissue injury are sprains, which overextend the ligaments, and strains that damage the muscles or tendons. Whiplash is a common sprain caused by the jerking of the neck back and forth, usually causing neck stiffness, headaches, and shoulder pain.
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury is a more serious type of injury from motor vehicle accidents that often require medical treatment. A TBI causes damage to the brain from violently hitting a hard surface such as a dashboard, or flying debris.
A concussion is a mild type of TBI that commonly causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and tinnitus. Sometimes, a concussion causes a loss of consciousness for several minutes, but it can occur without losing consciousness.
Herniated disc
A herniated disc occurs when the soft structures between the vertebrae are damaged, often protruding through the spine. Since the spinal column helps the body bend and rotate, an injury can cause severe pain and permanent damage.
While a herniated disc may happen anywhere on the spinal column, the lower back is the most susceptible to them. A herniated disc can cause sharp radiant pain, neck or back stiffness, weakness, and tingling or numbness in the feet or legs.
Even a minor injury can have a long-term impact on a driver, and they may seek compensation. However, an injured party only has two years to file a claim against the at-fault driver.
