Car accidents change the lives of millions of people every day. While car repair bills can be hefty and strenuous, nothing can affect someone’s life like an injury. While not every accident results in an injury, over 40% do.
Injuries related to car accidents can range from minor bumps and bruises to life altering damages. The most common injury related to car accidents is soft tissue damage. Things like general pain, swelling and bruising are all known to be symptoms of light trauma. Some of the injuries can be much more severe, like a collision that could cause someone to become paraplegic and lose motor function of their legs.
Because injuries vary greatly when it comes to car accidents, treatments vary as well. When it comes to minor injuries such as soft tissue damage, those involved in car crashes can use at home remedies such as icing down swelling or putting bandaids on minor cuts. For major car wrecks, at home treatment usually is not an option. Medical professionals are needed for the worst of wrecks, showing how diverse injuries and treatments can be. People also often need to contact car accident injury lawyers for assistance with recovering compensation for their injuries and losses caused by negligent drivers on the roads.
Common Car Accident Related Injuries And Their Treatments
As stated previously, some of the more common car accident-related injuries are not difficult to recover from and can be remedied from home:
Soft Tissue Injuries
● As mentioned above, the most common injury related to car crashes is soft tissue damage. Bumps, bruises and swelling are symptoms of soft tissue damage. Some have reported being sore after a car accident and hearing a ‘popping’ noise come from where they’re hurt.
○ Luckily, these injuries are very easy to recover from. Even without any maintenance or nursing, most of these injuries will just go away on their own. If they are a little more severe or you want to expedite the healing process, at home remedies will work. Icing any swelling or bumps, bandaging up any minor cuts and taking over the counter pain relief medication are all good options as well.
Scrapes and Cuts
● Scrapes and more major cuts are another fairly common injury that happens as a result of an accident. While some bandaids may work, you might need something bigger for a bigger cut. Without going to the hospitals, those involved in crashes still have options.
○ First the cut must be cleaned, running warm water over the layers of skin that have been damaged can oftentimes prevent the spread of infection. Once the scrape has been sanitized you can either use a bandage or wrap gauze around the area, depending on the severity. After changing the wrapping once or twice a day for a couple days, the cut should seal and heal!
Head Damage Injuries
● Head damage is a problem when it comes to car accidents as it is extremely difficult to get an accurate diagnosis without extensive tests. While we can’t see the exact problem without scans, some of the symptoms can be looked out for. When a driver or passenger suffers head damage, they can sometimes experience bleeding from the nose or ear, headaches, nausea or general dizziness. If the trauma is light and a hospital is not needed, there are some treatments people can perform on themselves.
○ Ice packs and cold compresses have been a widely used cure for head pain for a long time, giving just about anyone readily available relief. Over the counter medication such as aspirin has been known to help as well. For anything more serious, the best option may be in a hospital.
Severe Car Accident-Related Injuries And Their Treatments
While some wounds can be healed from home, car accidents don’t always let their victims walk away so easily. These types of injuries can result in significant medical bills and time off work to recover. Consequently, you may need the assistance of personal injury lawyers to ensure you are appropriately compensated for your injuries and losses suffered as the result of another person’s negligent driving. These injuries include:
Head Damage Injuries
● Head damage can fluctuate in severity, some of the worst traumas have much different symptoms than stated earlier. Those suffering from an extreme case of head trauma can experience symptoms such as confusion, memory problems or even a hard time speaking. These cognitive-motor skills are very sensitive as recovering them can be incredibly difficult. If someone involved in a car accident has felt any of these symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately.
○ According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors will initially assess any recipient of head trauma with the ‘Glasgow Coma Scale’, a scale designed to see how much damage the brain has received. If the injury is even more severe, doctors’ main priority is to make sure the brain is receiving enough blood and oxygen to function properly.
Chest Injuries
● Chest injuries can happen as a result of a car accident, anything from a minor bruise to a major break. Broken ribs are another possibility and that alone can come with nasty repercussions. Through chest injuries passengers and drivers hit by another car can have internal bleeding and even punctured organs. This is another serious example of the injuries related to car accidents. Some more significant symptoms to look out for include coughing up blood, general numbness or tingly-ness, and rapid changes in heart rate.
○ At a hospital, chest injuries can be treated in a number of ways. First they must support breathing and circulation as blood and oxygen are essential in keeping anyone healthy. If someone does have broken bones or a pierced lung, surgery may be on the table.
Conclusion
While car accidents can differ in severity, those involved more often that not don’t get hurt at all. If they do, it is common to get cut or bruised. These minor injuries can be taken care of from the comfort of the medicine cabinet, with everyday treatments like bandaids and ice packs saving the day.
Bad car wrecks happen too though, leaving the injured waiting for professional medical attention. With severe trauma like head trauma, chest trauma or internal injuries, doctors need to work quickly to identify the problem and solve it before it gets worse.
Car accidents affect millions of drivers everyday, some leading to nothing more than an uptick in an insurance rate and some leading to a lengthy stay in the emergency room. Either way, treatments for car accident injuries exist and are readily available!
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