Each day in America, hundreds of cars are involved in accidents, upending lives in a blink. Behind the twisted metal and shattered glass are real people coping with excruciating injuries that may take days, years, or even a lifetime to recover from. Cars are safer than ever, yet our bodies are still susceptible to the high-impact forces of a collision.
Knowing the most frequent injuries will enable us to prepare for and hopefully sidestep the worst-case scenarios on the roads. Buffalo is a famous city located in New York. Buffalo’s bitter winter and snowy streets present some grim challenges to drivers.
With the lake-effect snowstorms capable of causing visibility nearly as bad as non-existent and causing highways to resemble icy slides, those involved in car accidents are too often presented with complex recovery journeys. That is where a Buffalo car accident attorney can help you claim the compensation you deserve for your damages.
The Most Common Car Accident Injuries
The following are the most often reported injuries according to accident statistics and information:
- Whiplash and Neck Injuries
- One of the most common injuries, whiplash, occurs when the neck is suddenly forced forward and backward, straining muscles and ligaments.
- Rear-end collisions are a primary cause of whiplash. Studies show that over 800,000 cases of whiplash occur in the U.S. annually.
- Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Head injuries range from mild concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can cause memory loss, cognitive impairment, and long-term disability.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States in 2021.
- Seat belt use and correct airbag operation can minimize such injuries.
- Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
- Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, significantly impacting an individual’s quality of life.
- The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) estimates that car accidents account for most of all spinal cord injuries in the U.S.
- Fractures and Broken Bones
- The effect of a crash can lead to fractures in the legs, arms, ribs, and pelvis.
- According to the NHTSA, almost 30% of severe injuries from car accidents include fractured bones, usually in need of surgery and extensive recovery.
- Side-impact collisions and high-speed wrecks are most frequently the culprits.
- Internal Organ Damage
- Far less apparent yet possibly fatal, internal organ injury demands prompt medical care.
- The spleen and liver are the most frequently damaged organs in car accidents. About 15% of severe crashes involve internal bleeding of some sort.
Conclusion
We get into our vehicles daily, hardly considering the statistics on these pages. But in a split second between a routine drive and a violent crash, these figures become someone’s reality. Their tales remind us that safe driving is not a matter of evading tickets or insurance savings.
It’s a matter of defending the delicate miracle that is the human body and all the hopes and possibilities it holds. Because when the metal crumples, we shatter, but unlike our cars, we possess the incredible ability to heal, adjust, and become stronger than ever.
