The 7 most common road traffic accident injuries
Road traffic accidents (RTA) represent the largest proportion of personal injury claims across the UK.
Not only can an RTA cause serious physical injury but they can have a detrimental effect on your mental health as well.
Thankfully, the number of fatal road traffic accidents in the UK is dropping year-on-year – but thousands of collisions are still happening.
Here are the 7 most common road traffic accident injuries:
1. Brain and Head Injuries
In the event of a road traffic accident, a driver or passenger can acquire a traumatic brain injury which is caused by the head being hit or hitting another object violently. Depending on the area of the brain affected and the extent of the damage, the symptoms of a head injury can vary from mild to moderate to severe.
Sometimes there might not be any visible sign of any trauma at all, but the force of the impact may have still forced the brain to be pushed around inside the skull and caused bleeding, bruising or swelling of the brain. Open head injuries include cuts to the exterior and lacerations which require stitches and leave scarring. More information – www.headinjurylaw.co.uk
2. Neck Injuries
These are another common consequence of a road traffic accident, and can present themselves in mild forms such as neck strain and whiplash, and more serious injuries such as disc injury or cervical dislocation. Muscle strain is another injury people sustain which is almost as common as whiplash.
3. Spinal Cord Injuries
Damage to the spinal cord is caused when displaced bone fragments, disc material or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. This destroys the part of our nerve cells – axons – which carry signals along the spinal cord between the brain and the body. Damage to the spinal can often be extremely severe and debilitating, leaving the victim with loss of feeling or function.
4. Back Injuries
The lower back is the area most susceptible to back injuries, including sprains, strains, fractured vertebrae and herniated discs, which can limit your mobility and be extremely painful. It can sometimes take a while for the symptoms to present themselves, even for the more serious back injuries. Many back injuries cause a lot of pain over a long period of time.
5. Facial Injuries
Facial injuries are common in road traffic accidents and can be caused by colliding with the dashboard, steering wheel, airbag, side window, windscreen, car seats or shattered glass. The severity of these types of injuries range from mild bruises and scrapes to fractures and lacerations, or even serious facial disorders which damage the jaw and result in serious dental problems.
6. Internal Injuries
Very often the sheer impact of a road traffic accident can cause internal injuries to the bowels, spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart or aorta. Another common internal injury is fractured ribs which punctures the lungs and other organs. These kinds of injuries are life threatening and should be treated my medical professionals straight away.
7. Psychological Injuries
The psychological impact of a car accident should not be underestimated. Any RTA which involves severe injuries or a loss of life can take a huge emotional toll on the drivers and passengers. Short and long-term psychological effects are common, including post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional distress, depression and persistent driving anxiety. Such psychological injuries very often affect someone for the rest of their lives.
Road Traffic Accident Compensation
We understand that every RTA case is different, as are your injuries, and we will help you every step of the way through your claim to make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation you deserve.
Call us now on 0333 888 0408 for a free case assessment.
