Identifying Accidental Injuries That Can Impact Your Life

A Doctor examines a patient

While we all like to believe that we maintain a certain level of control over our lives, unforeseen accidents can occur at any time. Whether we make a misstep while distracted, our body is worn out from work, or another driver isn’t paying attention, we can go from being the picture of health to being in the emergency room in a split second. Potential accidents exist all around us.

Injuries affect every aspect of life. Along with loss of wages and paying medical bills, you can lose the ability to do everyday things like work out, take walks with your spouse, or roughhouse with grandkids. In this way, an injury can reduce your quality of life. Consider this list of common accidents, the injuries people sustain from them, and how they can affect you.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were a total of 15,764 serious injury crashes in Texas in 2021 that resulted in 19,448 individuals sustaining serious injuries. 

Car accidents can cause major damage and injuries to both the driver and occupants of the vehicles involved. These are the most common injuries resulting from car accidents:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Car accidents are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). TBIs occur when a blow or piercing injury to the head damages the brain. With TBI, you may show immediate symptoms or it may take hours to days for symptoms to appear. This is why it is essential for anyone involved in a car accident to get checked out by a healthcare professional. Untreated TBI can result in permanent partial or full paralysis or even death. 

Here are the most common signs of a TBI:

  • Immediate Symptoms:
    • Headache
    • Ringing in the ears
    • Slurring of or difficulty forming words
    • Confusion
    • Loss of consciousness
    • Vomiting and nausea
  • Delayed Symptoms:
    • Sensitivity to light or sound
    • Insomnia or difficulty waking up
    • Mood changes
    • Sudden and uncontrollable mood swings
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Memory loss
    • Trouble concentrating
    • Coma
    • Seizures
    • Loss of coordination

Spinal Cord Injuries 

Spinal cord injuries are particularly dangerous as your spine channels communications from your brain to the rest of your body. Damage to the spinal cord can disrupt that communication, potentially resulting in loss of function. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries include:

  • Temporary or permanent paralysis
  • Loss of sensation near or below the site of injury
  • Loss of important autonomic functions, such as heartbeat or breathing

Back Injuries 

Car accidents can put major strain and force onto your back, resulting in back strains, sprains, slipped or herniated discs, ruptured discs, pinched nerves, or nerve damage. 

Burn Injuries 

A doctor standing next to a pair of legal scales and holding a stethoscope.

Though not as common, some accidents can result in vehicles catching fire, leading to burn injuries. For trucks transporting dangerous chemicals, the risk of sustaining a burn injury increases during an accident as these fluids can leak due to storage tank damage.

Internal Injuries

Accidents can cause flying debris or force the body into an object such as the dashboard, resulting in damage to the internal organs. Internal bleeding requires immediate medical treatment.

Other Injuries 

Other injuries can include the following:

  • Fractured and broken bones
  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of limbs
  • Whiplash
  • Knee injuries
  • Foot and ankle injuries
  • Shoulder injuries
  • Wrist and hand injuries
  • Lacerations
  • Crush injuries

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents often happen on stairs and areas that are icy, slippery, or poorly lit. For young people, these accidents often do not result in serious injuries but can cause smaller ones such as a bump, bruise, twisted ankle, or broken bone. However, falls have a tremendous impact on the elderly. Each year, more than 2.5 million seniors are treated in emergency rooms and 700,000 remain hospitalized due to falls according to the CDC.

Serious injuries from slip and fall accidents include the following:

  • Hip fractures
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Back injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries

Have You Been Injured In an Accident?

If you or a loved one has been injured due to an accident, a personal injury attorney can help you outline your rights and provide legal assistance. The long-term effects of a serious or debilitating injury can negatively impact not only you but also the people in your life. The attorneys at Branch & Dhillon, P.C. provide experienced, effective representation in personal injury matters. If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact us today. We’re here to help.

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