Common Injuries Resulting from a Pile-Up Car Accident

A pile-up car accident (also known as a multiple-vehicle collision) can damage your vehicle and leave you injured and in need of medical care. Some injuries are minor and won’t affect you in the long run, but other injuries are severe and require medical attention, surgery, and even hospitalization. There are three categories of injuries: soft tissue injuries, head injuries, and internal injuries.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Bruising/Contusions

You’d be surprised by how many bruises and contusions you can end up with after being in a car crash. You could have bruises around your waist from your seat belt restraining you during the accident. Of course, getting a bruise from your seat belt protecting you is much better than sustaining a more severe injury.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common injury. A pile-up car accident will force your body to move quickly in abnormal ways, which can strain the muscles and ligaments in your neck and back. That strain causes whiplash. Whiplash can bother you for a while after a car crash, but you aren’t likely to suffer permanent damage from it.

Neck/Back Injuries 

Whiplash isn’t the only neck/back injury out there. Other neck/back injuries can include herniations, ruptured discs, and spinal injuries. These injuries don’t always show up right away, either. Limited mobility, stiffness, soreness, and pain are signs that you are still injured and may need to see a doctor. Physical therapy can often be an essential step to making a full recovery. 

Head Injuries

Concussions

A concussion caused by a car accident typically occurs when you hit your head on your car. Common symptoms of a concussion include memory issues and feeling like something in your brain isn’t working right. You can often wholly recover from a concussion, but immediate medical attention is usually required. A doctor can provide treatment that will go a long way toward reducing headaches and preventing permanent damage.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are very serious and can permanently affect your health and well-being. While a concussion will make you feel like something is wrong with your brain, a traumatic brain injury will change the way your brain functions. Those changes include how you think, how you process information, and how you regulate your emotions. Recovery is possible, but it could take years to recover fully. 

Internal Injuries

Broken Bones

Bones break when there’s too much pressure on the skeleton. That pressure can come from the impact of a pile-up. Broken arms, legs, ribs, and ankles are common car accident injuries. If you have a fracture, you might need surgery to recover completely. You might be out of commission for a couple of months, but you’ll likely make a full recovery. 

Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding is very serious. A pile-up can damage your organs and cause them to bleed. Immediate medical intervention is often life-saving for this kind of injury. 

Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Can Help

If you’ve recently been in a pile-up car accident, Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can help you. You may be able to collect damages for your injuries and your pain and suffering. Contact us today for your free case evaluation.