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Looking for a Chiropractor To Treat Injuries From a Car Accident in Littleton?

10 Of The Most Common Injuries Sustained In Car Accidents

Car accidents cause many different serious injuries as well as death. Impact injuries are the most common way individuals are hurt in car crashes. This is the result of either being hit by flying cargo that was left unsecured or from slamming into part of the car after it collides with another vehicle.

Tear injuries and cuts are other common types of car accident injuries that are caused by torn metal and broken glass. When a rollover accident takes place, an occupant of the car may get tossed around and sustain injuries or be ejected from the car.

The 5-Star Safety Ratings System from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), also referred to as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), evaluates the rollover safety and crash protection on new vehicles. You have most likely seen footage of cars with crash-test dummies inside them either having barriers slamming into them or them slamming into barriers.

A vehicle's head-on or frontal crash rating from the NHTSA evaluates injuries to the right front seat passenger and driver's feet, legs, chest, neck and head. The front-seat side-impact rating evaluates the injuries to the front seat passenger and driver's pelvis, abdomen, chest and head. The rear-seat side-impact rating evaluates injuries of the rear-seat passenger's pelvis and head.

According to the NHTSA, the feet, legs (including the knees), abdomen, pelvis, chest, neck and head are the body parts that are most likely to get injured in a collision of motor vehicles. Basically, any body part can get injured as a result of an automobile accident.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Injuries from sharp parts that are torn from the car body, from broken glass and impact injuries can affect practically any body part on a passenger or the driver.

These Include:

Brain Injuries. Piercing head injuries or blows to the head can cause damage to the brain. This type of injury is referred to as traumatic brain injury (TBI). These kinds of injuries can be severe injuries impairing critical functions like emotional control, memory, concentration, vision and speech, or they can be more mild forms of injuries, such as a concussion that heals itself after a couple weeks of rest.

Other types of head injuries, like eye injuries, which may result in blindness or partial loss of vision; ear injuries result in hearing loss; jaw or facial fractures; and dental injuries, which can include losing teeth.

Back and neck injuries. The most common injury sustained in car accidents is whiplash. This is a back and/or neck injury where the neck is stretched and then snaps back in place very quickly. This occurs when the impact from a wreck has caused a vehicle to either suddenly accelerate or stop. Whiplash can damage disks, ligaments, vertebrae or the spinal cord, in the back and neck. This can result in paralysis or loss of functions in large parts of the body or one or multiple limbs. Even less severe back and neck injuries might cause chronic pain which can reduce quality of life significantly.

A neck injury might also result from a blow crushing the trachea or larynx. A broken neck sustained in a car accident could result in a person dying instantly.

Chest injuries. In a collision, the crushing impact may break the breast bone (sternum) and/or ribs, especially if a passenger or driver was not wearing a seat belt. Chest injury severity has been significantly reduced by airbags being placed in steering wheels and dashboards, however injuries and fractures to the organs do still take place.

A diaphragm rupture (tearing of muscle across the lower part of the rib cage, which is critical for respiration) commonly is caused by a penetrating or blunt trauma to the lower chest or trunk.

Abdominal and pelvis injuries. Abdominal organ injuries and hip fractures (compressive pelvic injuries) are common types of car accidents. The kidneys, spleen and liver are often injured in side-impact and front-impact collisions.

Knee and leg injuries. Most knee and leg injuries sustained in car accidents are crush or impact injuries that are caused by the leg getting smashed into a section of the car. It can cause wounds ranging from fractures and multiple fractures to contusions (bruises). If a knees is abruptly turned or twisted it can sustain a meniscus tear (knee cartilage tear).

Foot Injuries. Toes, feet and ankles can be broken (fractured), sprained or strained in car accidents.

Toes, feet and other limbs can get severed. However, this type of injury is more common in a motorcycle accident.

Numerous car accident studies have shown that where an individual is seated inside a vehicle during an accident effects the kind of injury the person is likely to sustain as well as its severity. As can be expected, more severe injuries are likely to result when a person is seated closer to where the impact takes place.

Severe injures suffering in car accidents will likely result in expensive rehabilitation costs and medical bills. In addition, the person will miss a lot of time from work while they are recovering. Crash victims may also struggle with emotional problems, like depression, especially when long-lasting and serious injuries irrevocably change their lives. In our accident injury clinic in Littleton, near Santa Fe and Belleview, we have a number of effective and all-natural treatments and modalities in order to help treat injuries after an accident, such as laser therapy.

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