Most Common Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents and How to Treat Them
Road traffic accidents in the UK have seen a marked reduction in fatalities over the past decade. The statistics for the whole of Europe now show that dying as the result of a car crash is thankfully becoming less common.
Whiplash is a common car accident injury
There are many reasons for this pleasing development; the increased safety enhancements in the vehicles themselves, a greater awareness amongst road users and Government-backed safety campaigns are all playing an important role.
However, there are still a great number of accidents involving motor vehicles and even those that do not result in serious or life-threatening injuries can still have debilitating and long-term effects on the victims.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained by drivers and passengers of cars involved in a collision. The injury occurs through the weight of the head being forced forward and backward by the forces of momentum and can have serious implications to the neck and top of the spine.
Apart from causing great pain and discomfort, often over an extensive period of time, the damage it can cause to the nerves that travel through the vertebrae can lead to serious complications.
What is the next step?
If you think you could have a whiplash injury, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. You should also consider the fact that you may have the basis for successful car accident compensation claims.
Back injuries are often sustained in similar circumstances to whiplash – usually when the victim is in a vehicle that has been hit from behind or ‘rear ended’.
Any back pain can be debilitating and can have a negative impact on your quality of life. It is also the main cause of ‘lost work days’ in the UK. The treatment of back pain can often include alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, and often requires specialised attention over a period of time.
Due to the introduction of laminated glass for use in windscreens in the 1960s and the subsequent enforcement of the wearing of seat belts in many countries across the world, the dreadful facial injuries that were often seen in car accidents are thankfully now a thing of the past.
However, any collision can cause cuts and lacerations that might require stitches and, in fact, this is probably the most common injury that results from being involved in a car accident. Obviously such treatment requires hospital attention and can lead to some permanent scarring. In these cases it is important to check out whether or not you might be able to make a compensation claim for the injury and distress you may have suffered.
