What Complications can Arise after a Wreck?
After being injured in a car wreck, many people believe that they can receive treatment, heal from their injuries, and then get right back to life as they knew it before the accident.
Sure, there are some who have permanent disabilities, like being paralyzed or losing a limb, but those are the outliers, right? Most people heal and move on? Not exactly; a study published in 2004 found over 1.2 million adults were living with a disability due to crash related injuries.
What sort of long-term complications might be expected from a car wreck? What should we be aware of if tragedy hits? Herbert Law Group, Dallas area personal injury lawyers, breaks it down for you.
Head Injuries are some of the Most Common
15% of fatal car crashes are due to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). But TBI isn’t the only head injury that can cause long-term complications or even death. The head is a delicate vessel; when you are in a car wreck, the brain can be damaged easily.
- Concussions: Hitting your head hard causes the brain to move. When it “bounces” around inside the skull it can cause severe headaches and concussions.
- Fractures: When hit hard enough your skull can crack.
- Coup Injuries: A coup injury is one where there is any damage to the brain at the point of impact (a concussion is a type of coup injury).
- Diffuse Axonal Injuries: Severe trauma causes connecting fibers to tear; these injuries often lead to coma.
Hitting your head, even if it doesn’t seem like a big impact, is a serious injury. These can take a long time to heal, and in many cases your body may never fully recover.
Spinal and Joint Injuries Cause Lasting Pain
One of the most common injuries in a car accident is whiplash. When your head jerks back and forth suddenly, it can pull, strain, or even tear ligaments in the neck.
This type of spinal injury can be intensely painful, and the only recovery is to wait and allow the body to heal.
But it can be even worse. Severe car accidents can lead to broken bones, including spinal fractures, some may cause paralysis.
Long-term complications can include being confined to a wheelchair, intense physical therapy, and re-learning to walk over time.
Dismemberment or Loss of Limb Injuries
How would your life change if you had to live without a limb?
Severe car accidents can cause dismemberment. Anything from losing a finger, to an arm or a leg, will drastically change your life. Long-term complications can go far beyond just learning how to live life without that limb; but also include complicated follow-up medical procedures.
And no matter how complicated the physical injury, there are always mental effects that can linger.
Lasting Psychological Effects Can’t be Ignored
Often we don’t associate physical injuries with psychological injuries. But when you go through a traumatic experience, one that results in injury or death, there will be impacts on your mental health.
Therapy and counseling to deal with the PTSD that comes with a massive car wreck are not uncommon. These effects can last months and even years, causing you to suffer a diminished quality of life.
Many people try to “suck it up” and ignore these problems. But if you are the victim of a car wreck, you shouldn’t have to “suck it up.” You deserve healing.
Come to Herbert Law Group after Your Wreck
After a wreck, the insurance company will try to make a settlement offer as quickly as possible. Their goal is to pay you off before you understand the long-term complications that could come with your injuries.
Herbert Law Group has been through this with a lot of clients. We know what to expect, and how the complications can continue to pop up later in life. Complications that you shouldn’t have to worry about let alone worry about how to pay for them!
That’s why we want to talk to you after your car accident. We want to help you receive compensation that fully covers your injuries.
Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll be in touch for your free conversation.