Car accident injuries often do not manifest until days, weeks or even months post-crash; thus it is crucial that medical attention be sought immediately following an incident.

Your medical record must provide sufficient proof of injuries sustained and their effect on your life, in order to support any financial compensation claim for injuries you may make against someone. Read more here: What area of law is personal injury?

Penetrating Injuries

Injurys sustained in car accidents depend on many variables, including speed of impact and whether victims were wearing seat belts at the time. Airbag deployment also plays an integral part in how seriously victims may be hurt in these crashes.

Shattered glass or loose objects found inside a vehicle during an accident are likely to cause cuts and scrapes that can range from minor to life-threatening injuries, including internal bleeding if severe.

Chest injuries can result from being hit with the steering wheel or dashboard in a severe collision, often in the form of contusions or bruises but potentially leading to broken ribs and internal bleeding in severe instances.

Internal Organ Damage

Car accidents can have devastating effects on internal organs of accident victims, with blood vessels often ruptured by impact and leading to internal bleeding, bruising and organ failure. Victims should watch out for symptoms like abdominal pain, backache and low blood pressure after their accident has taken place.

Internal injuries are more difficult to detect and may not appear immediately following an accident, leading to painful medical expenses that need to be covered by victims who should claim damages for both economic and noneconomic losses.

Broken Bones

An individual may sustain fractured bones during a car accident when their body is forced into unnatural positions by its impact, affecting spine, pelvis, skull and other areas of their bodies.

Doctors rely on X-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to diagnose and treat fractures. While x-rays reveal whether bones have been cracked or broken, an MRI offers more clarity when viewing bone structure and tissue.

Fractures require medical care that may include surgery, physical therapy and assistive devices – your claim should cover these expenses as well as any lost wages if your injuries prevent you from working.

Head Injuries

An injury to the head can happen from hitting or jolting it against a hard surface during a crash, as well as when someone becomes anxious or distressed. A brain contusion, hemorrhage or broken blood vessels may damage its tissue and require medical intervention to fix.

TBI symptoms range from mild to severe and may include confusion, blurred vision, headache, bruising and loss of consciousness. A concussion is one of the most frequently seen types of TBI; symptoms could last from days or weeks up until permanent damage.

Your doctor can use a CT scan to detect skull fractures, evidence of bleeding or clotting and brain swelling. They may also order an MRI.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord protection is provided by the spine; however, even minor collisions can result in trauma to this area of the body. A sudden blow can impact vertebral bones causing breakage or dislocation which impacts spinal nerves.

Complete spinal cord injuries, commonly referred to as tetraplegia or quadriplegia, render movement and sensation below the point of injury nonexistent. While incomplete injuries may still provide some movement and sensation depending on where the injury has taken place. Treatment options for complete injuries include rest, painkillers, surgery and physical therapy.

Burns

Burn injuries can be catastrophic, placing tremendous physical and emotional burdens on victims. They often require months of medical treatments and surgeries – including skin grafts – as well as permanently disfiguring scarring that prevents work opportunities for years. Burn injuries caused by hot metal, chemical fumes or electrical damage are particularly hazardous, potentially life-threatening injuries; fourth degree burns affecting all layers of skin as well as nerves and bones are considered the worst form of burn injury.

Personal injury lawyers can help victims recover compensation for all of their losses, such as pain and suffering, lost income, excess and future medical bills and economic damages.

Disfigurement

Car accidents can result in injuries of all sorts, from physical to behavioral ones. Accidents resulting in physical harm may also damage self-esteem and cause ongoing emotional stress.

Your medical records should include all treatments, prescriptions and expenses related to your injury. In addition, it would be a good idea to keep a journal or diary chronicling how it has impacted the quality of life.

Compensation for disfigurement damages can often be calculated subjectively, so having an experienced lawyer by your side to advocate for the maximum possible amount can help secure maximum compensation for medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, property damage, pain and suffering and emotional distress.