Of the approximately 200,000 car accidents that happen every year in Tennessee, about a quarter results in some kind of injury. That’s about 50,000 car accident injuries every year, of which about 1,000 are fatal. That might sound a lot and to be honest any figure is unacceptable, but put the figures round the other way and you could also say that 49,000 odd accidents involve non-fatal injuries. These injuries could be anything from a mild bump on the head right through to really serious injuries such as spinal damage, traumatic brain injury and loss of limbs.

What determines the severity of a car accident injury is a combination of factors. How fast were the vehicles traveling when they collided? Was it a rear end, side on, sideswipe or head on collision? What were the relative sizes and weights of the vehicles involved? Were the occupants using seat belts and were there any other safety devices like air bags?

The two broad categories of car accident injuries are:

  • penetrating injuries; and
  • impact injuries.

Penetrating injuries occur when some loose object in the car or part of the car superstructure penetrates some part of the person’s body, causing at the very least cuts in the skin and external bleeding. More serious penetrating injuries damage internal organs and hard parts of the body’s internal structure like bones.

The least serious penetrating injuries are caused when loose objects in the car are sent flying when the car crashes into another vehicle or other hard object. This could be anything from a cell phone to a laptop or anything else relatively small but which has a sharp edge to it.

The most serious penetrating injuries occur when parts of the car’s superstructure are damaged so badly that they protrude inward and cut into the occupant’s body or break off and are propelled into the person’s body. Broken windshields and side window glass can easily penetrate any part of the upper body, causing serious injuries to both the skin and any organ lying beneath it including severe bleeding. Parts of the boy of the car or its roof can be crushed in a high impact crash, causing pieces of metal to be forced into someone’s body.

Impact injuries occur when some part of the body is thrown sideways, backwards or forwards, hitting a hard part of the interior of the car. Injuries like whiplash don’t even need contact with another object. They are caused by the sudden forward then backward movement of the head and neck, typically as a result of a rear end crash. Although whiplash can cause quite serious pain and may take several weeks or months to heal, it is not as serious as direct impact with the head, chest or limbs. Serious impact injuries include brain injury, face, eye and teeth injuries, rib injuries, dislocation of shoulders, crushing injuries to the spine and fractures of the skull and limbs. Chest injuries more commonly affect the driver because a seat belt may not stop the driver’s chest from hitting the steering wheel in a serious collision.

Leg injuries can occur when knees or other parts of the legs collide with the dashboard when the occupants are thrown sideways or forwards. If the superstructure of the car is crushed inwards, then any part of the body work could strike the legs and cause bruising at the least and multiple fractures at the worst.

How likely are burn injuries?

All car accidents can be terrifying, but some of the worst are when volatile gasoline liquid or vapor ignites as the result of a collision. This might be because the effect of the crash is to cause a leak of gas which then ignites due to friction or a spark from damaged electrical wiring. The potential for horrific burns is made more likely if the occupants of the vehicle cannot get out quickly, or are trapped inside. Fires or gasoline explosions caused by car accidents are not particularly common, but are certainly not just confined to spectacular stunts seen in movies.

Contact Nashville Injury Attorney

Whatever your injuries, if you have been the victim of a car accident which was not your fault, you have the right to claim compensation from the at-fault driver. You will need the help of an effective and experienced attorney to counter any obstructive behavior by the insurer you will be claiming compensation from.

 

Nashville Injury Attorney has over the years built a solid reputation for successful auto accident claims. Keith Williams and his team have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for their many clients. You can rely on Nashville Injury Attorney for their skill and experience in dealing with all types of car and truck accidents. Ring the office for an online or phone appointment at 615-395-3003.