During a car accident, almost anything could happen. Even during minor accidents, people can suffer serious injuries. However, are some more common car accident injuries than others. Every year, thousands of Americans suffer injuries or even wrongful death from car accidents. With these incidents come expensive medical bills and funeral costs. That’s why it’s important to have a Shreveport car accident attorney who can help you get just compensation for your accident.
At the Greenwald Law Firm, we handle a wide variety of personal injury cases, including minor and major car accidents. We understand how traumatizing and frustrating car accident cases can be. They often lead to physical pain, lost wages, and even mental anguish. That’s why we prioritize the health and compensation of our clients. If you or a loved one suffered injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence in a car accident, we’re here for you. To schedule a free consultation, give our Shreveport personal injury lawyers a call at 318-219-7867 today.
What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?
In this section, we cover the 7 most common car accident injuries. As we stated above, a wide variety of injuries occur to car accident victims. Below, we list the injuries we see most often in our car accident injury cases.
Soft tissue damage
This includes trauma to the skin, muscles, tendons, or ligaments. The most common soft tissue injury is whiplash. Signs to look out for that signal soft tissue damage include pain, swelling, bruising, limited range of motion, popping, or snapping sounds or feelings.
Scrapes or cuts
These include wounds in the layers of your skin. These wounds are self-explanatory, but certain symptoms should be taken very seriously. If you experience additional pain, swelling, larger scabs, redness around the area, or fever, see a doctor immediately.
Head injuries
Head injuries are unfortunately very common in car accidents. In more severe accidents, people may experience concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Symptoms to watch out for include bleeding, headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and more.
Chest injuries
These range from bruises to broken bones and internal organ damage. Symptoms to watch out for include shortness of breath, numbness, coughing, changes in heart rate, and more.
Arm/leg injuries
Bruises and scrapes are most common, but broken or fractured bones can also occur. Symptoms to watch out for include pain, bruising, swelling, numbness, tingling, and deformity.
Back injuries
These include spinal cord injuries. They range from mild soreness to severe fractures. Symptoms to watch out for include pain, tenderness, stiffness, muscle spasms, numbness, paralysis, and even the inability to maintain a normal posture.
Internal injuries
These include internal bleeding, damage to internal organs, and other injuries that might require surgery. Symptoms to watch out for include dizziness, fainting, abdominal pain, swelling, deep purple skin, and seizures.
What Steps Should I Take Following a Car Accident Injury?
We cannot stress the importance of the steps you should take following a car accident. Whatever type of accident you find yourself in—whether in a trucking accident, uber accident, 18-wheeler accident, etc.—there are certain things you should always remember. In order to ensure your own safety, as well as the safety of those around you, we recommend following the steps provided below.
- Check yourself for injuries. If you suspect that you have even a minor injury, call for medical help.
- Move your car to the side of the road. If possible, move your car to a safe location, so as not to be a hazard to other drivers. If you cannot move the car, get yourself to safety.
- Call the police. Even for minor accidents, it is imperative that you call the police. When the police arrive and fill out an accident report, be sure to retrieve a copy of this report.
- Exchange information. Share contact information with everyone involved in the crash, as well as any witnesses to the crash.
- Document the accident. Take notes and pictures of the scene in as much detail as possible. Memories fade with time, so ensuring that you have documented evidence is extremely important.
- Call your car accident attorney. Getting in touch with an attorney is one of the first things to do once you receive medical attention. The Greenwald Law Firm is here to handle car accident cases, both minor and major.
How Soon After Sustaining a Car Accident Injury Should I See a Doctor?
As with any injury, we recommend seeing a doctor as soon as possible in order to avoid exacerbating the injury. Waiting to see a doctor impacts you negatively in a few different ways. Most importantly, not all injuries present themselves right away. By waiting to see a doctor, you risk making your injuries even worse than they would have been originally. Additionally, the sooner you see a doctor, the easier it will be to pursue your personal injury claim. Waiting allows insurance companies to attempt to avoid accepting liability or compensate you less for your injuries. Records of medical treatments for your injuries help to prove that your injuries actually resulted from the accident months or even years down the road.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me After a Car Accident?
Knowledgeable and experienced attorneys are almost always helpful after a car accident. When you experience one of the common car accident injuries, you likely won’t want to pile on more stress with a complicated case. Allowing your attorney to focus on the case will allow you to focus on your recovery. Additionally, lawyers ensure that each and every aspect of your case gets investigated to the fullest extent. All pieces of evidence, both large and small, are important in determining liability. Below, we outline all of the benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney for a car accident case.
- Investigating the contributing factors to an accident
- Determining liability
- Dealing with insurance adjusters
- Estimating medical costs and other accident-related expenses
- Dealing with hospitals or debt collectors about your medical bills
- Negotiating with insurance companies
Contact the Greenwald Law Firm Today
If you or a loved one suffered one of the common car accident injuries we listed above, we’re here for you. The Greenwald Law Firm has extensive experience helping clients all across Louisiana with their personal injury cases. From simple cases to complicated class-action suits, our talented and dedicated attorneys do it all. To schedule a free consultation with an attorney, call the Greenwald Law Firm at 318-219-7867 today.
