Injuries can be painful and can impact any part of the body. Most of the time, injuries are unexpected and can change your life in an instance. When this happens, you need someone by your side that can help you get the care you need to move forward. Regardless of what kind of injury you experience, a personal injury attorney can aid you know your legal rights. Common injuries consist of:
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are some of the most prevalent types of injuries. The sudden blow of a car accident can cause your body to move and bend in ways it was not designed to do. When this happens, you may suffer strains or sprains. Whiplash, which occurs when the head all of a sudden whips backward and then forward, is one of the most prevalent injuries after a car accident.
Soft tissue injuries are also prevalent after slip and fall accidents. Lacerations, bumps, and bruises can create short-term pain but sometimes heal on their own without medical attention.
Broken Bones
Our bones support our bodies and help us move. They are strong and can withstand quite a bit of force. But they are not indestructible. Bones can break when they experience too much force or when they move in an unnatural direction.
Broken bones can be painful. In a lot of cases, the injury will not totally heal. It is not uncommon for an individual to experience pain months or years after the injury. Crush injuries happen when the bones sustain extreme force. These injuries may require extensive reconstructive surgery or amputation.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are two types of brain injuries– traumatic brain injuries and non-traumatic brain injuries. Non-traumatic brain injuries are caused by an internal source, such as bacteria or a blood clot. Traumatic brain injuries happen as a result of trauma. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, there are over 235,000 hospitalizations because of traumatic brain injuries per year. The AANS estimates that between 50 and 70 percent of TBIs are the result of a car accident.
Traumatic brain injuries can vary from a minor concussion to a major, life-threatening injury. You should always get immediate medical care if you suspect a brain injury. Long-term effects of a TBI consist of:
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Sensory problems
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord transfers messages from the brain to the rest of the body. It runs from the base of the skull to the top of the tailbone. The spine surrounds the spinal cord and protects it from harm. A spinal cord injury happens as a result of serious trauma to the spinal cord. This is usually the result of a hard hit or a penetrating injury to the spinal cord.
Spinal cord injuries can threaten and truly derail a person’s life. In most cases, spinal cord injuries will result in full or partial paralysis. After a spinal cord injury, the individual will usually need to rely on adaptive devices such as wheelchairs to move around.
Psychological Injuries
Psychological injuries are frequently overlooked after an injury. Too often, people dismiss signs of a psychological injury as a “normal” response to an accident. And while some stress or anxiety is normal after an accident, feelings that interfere with your day-to-day life are not.
Anxiety, PTSD, and depression can happen after any kind of accident but are more common after severe or life-threatening accidents. For example, an individual may experience PTSD after a car rollover or after a dog attack. Common signs of psychological injuries consist of:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Intense fear or worrying that interferes with your everyday activities
- Irritability
- An overwhelming feeling of sadness
- Brain fog
- Trouble concentrating
Never ignore mental health problems. If you are having trouble moving on after an accident, a licensed mental health professional can help you receive appropriate care.
Moving on from an injury is hard; dealing with the financial effects can seem overwhelming. If your injury was due to someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible for financial compensation. Apersonal injury attorney at Drake Law Firm can assess your situation and help you decide whether you should seek a personal injury case. If you were recently injured, don’t wait. Get in touch with a seasoned personal injury lawyer for more information.
