When a car stops suddenly in a collision, the vehicle’s occupants remain in motion until they hit a safety restraint (such as a seatbelt or airbag) and/or the structure of the car – its steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, windows, headrests, or door panels, for example. Unrestrained passengers are violently thrown about the vehicle and may even be ejected from it.
Despite major advances in car safety in recent years, it’s not surprising that car accidents remain among the leading causes of accidental injury and death in America.
An injury in a car accident can range from the most minor to the most debilitating.
Among the most common are:
- Neck injuries and whiplash – Whiplash is a traumatic injury to neck muscles, ligaments, and spinal disks that is most commonly caused by the sudden jerking motion of a rear-end collision. Whiplash can cause chronic pain and problems with memory, concentration, and sleep. Car accidents can also cause broken bones in the neck and other serious neck injuries.
- Back injuries, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis – A spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause loss of function or paralysis in one or more limbs (paraplegia), or over larger portions of the victim’s body (tetraplegia or quadriplegia). Less severe damage to the vertebrae, spinal disks, or spinal cord can result in chronic pain and other debilitating problems.
- Chest and abdominal injuries – The impact of a collision can rupture or tear the diaphragm (the muscle below the lungs that aids respiration) and injure the liver, spleen, kidneys, or other internal organs. Injuries to major internal organs usually require surgery, and internal injuries often result in serious bleeding
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries – Any injury resulting in bruising, tearing, bleeding or another physical damage to the brain is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A concussion is a mild TBI that usually heals over a few weeks, but severe TBI is likely to be chronic and can cause a variety of debilitating problems.
- Cuts (lacerations) and bruises (contusions) – These types of soft tissue injuries often heal quickly, but serious lacerations and contusions may affect deep muscle tissue or internal organs. Cuts and bruises to the eyes can result in permanent vision loss.
- Burns – Car accident victims are susceptible to burns from fire or through contact with hot parts of the vehicle in severe crashes. Serious burns cause deep tissue damage and may require years of expensive treatment. In addition to injury from contact with fire or extreme heat, inhaling smoke from a fire can cause lung damage.
- Broken bones (fractures) – Car accidents are frequently the cause of broken arms and legs, broken collarbones, and broken ribs. If multiple ribs are fractured or bone ends are displaced, the injury can cause life-threatening complications by injuring internal organs.
Nonfatal injuries suffered in a car accident can require medical treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing therapy, and assistive care, depending on the type and severity of the injury. Injury victims’ inability to work as they heal adds to the financial burden of recovery. Serious injuries and lengthy recoveries can also cause emotional problems, such as depression, for the injured individual and for close family members.
Contact Our South Carolina Car Accident Lawyers
If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Clinton, Summerville, or elsewhere in South Carolina, you may be eligible for compensation to assist in your recovery. Joye Law Firm is ready to work to help you obtain all that you are entitled to receive.
Our South Carolina car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm have nearly 250 years of combined litigation experience. Our attorneys include litigators who have been named Super Lawyers in South Carolina and lawyers who have received an AV rating from the distinguished Martindale-Hubbell legal directory.
If you have been injured in a South Carolina car accident that was not your fault, call Joye Law Firm at (888) 324-3100 or complete our online form today for a free initial consultation.
Testimonials
I found everyone at the Joye law firm to be completely professional and compassionate. They made me feel like I was their only client. I highly recommended the Joye Law Firm!
Review by: THOMAS
Date published: 2019
Rating: ★★★★★ 5 / 5 stars
