Summary:
- Physical car accident injuries can lead to long-term chronic pain
- Damage to the head, neck, and spinal cord can cause paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by car accidents can result in cognitive impairment
- Depression, fear, anxiety, and PTSD can result from the trauma of a car accident
Car accidents can cause severe injuries because the impact of a collision exposes victims to blunt-force trauma. Physical damage to the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other body parts can cause an injury that results in long-term health consequences. Some of these injuries can include spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and back and neck injuries.
Severe injuries from car accidents can cause long-term health consequences, such as chronic pain, paralysis, loss of body part functionality, cognitive impairment, and psychological suffering. Car accident victims can pursue compensation for the long-term consequences of their traumatic accident by filing a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Car Accidents Can Cause Physical Injuries That Result in Chronic Pain
The long-term consequences of car accidents stem from the impact physical injuries can have on a car accident victim’s body. Car accident injuries can affect the body and result in chronic pain that can affect the quality of life. Every time a car accident victim tries to use their injured body part, they can feel the pain of the damage caused by the accident.
This can prove detrimental to a person’s life, especially when a body part necessary for everyday activities is affected. Imagine a world where you experience intense pain and suffering in your knee every time you walk, your elbow every time you reach out for something, or your neck every time you look around.
Many car accident victims have to live with this reality. Chronic pain can serve as a reminder of a traumatic collision, such as a head-on, T-bone, or rear-end accident. It can reduce their quality of life and lead to a constant reminder of the trauma caused by their car accident.
Paralysis and Loss of Body Part Functionality by Car Accidents
Car accident victims can also experience paralysis due to the physical trauma of their accident. Injuries to the head, neck, and spinal cord can damage important parts of the body that facilitate movement. Physical trauma to the back can break vertebrae in the spinal cord and damage tissue along the spine that can help send messages from the brain to the rest of the body.
Without the ability to move their legs or arms, a person can experience life-altering effects. They will not be able to handle everyday tasks like they had before. They will need constant assistance from a family member or in-home nurse to help them get around. This can cause negative mental health effects as someone has to deal with their loss of agency.
Physical trauma from a car accident can also reduce the functionality of other body parts. Fingers, wrists, hands, shoulders, knees, and feet can all sustain injuries that make it hard for them to work properly. Without being able to use important body parts, car accident victims will not be able to handle certain activities that they enjoyed before their traumatic accident.
Car Accidents Can Cause Cognitive Impairment
Trauma to the head from a car accident can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is when someone suffers damage to the brain from a physical blow. One long-term complication presented by a TBI is cognitive impairment, which is when someone has problems with their memory, learning, speech, and judgment.
Cognitive impairment can happen naturally as someone ages, but a traumatic car accident can accelerate the process. Suffering from it after a car accident can cause someone to forget important details of their life, miss events they forget about, fail to retain information, lose focus during a conversation, and make illogical decisions.
Long-Term Psychological Impact of a Car Accident
One of the long-term consequences of a car accident is mental and emotional issues. Car accident victims can sustain psychological trauma due to the fear of the accident. Car accidents are violent incidents that can cause tremendous physical pain, leading to someone developing negative feelings towards driving.
Car accident victims can suffer from depression, anxiety, fear, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after their incident. They can experience nightmares and terrifying visions that recall the trauma of their accident and have to cope with negative emotions for months and years after their car accident.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Car Accident Claim
The car accident lawyers at The Russo Firm can help you pursue compensation for car accident damages. We understand how the long-term impact of a car accident can dramatically alter your life and wish to offer personalized legal counsel to help you recover financially. Contact us for free consultations at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accidents
What Injuries Can Result from a Car Accident?
The long-term consequences of a car accident stem from the injuries caused by the traumatic incident. Car accidents can expose drivers and passengers to blunt-force trauma from other vehicles and heavy objects. These injuries can cause severe damage to the body that results in long-term health consequences.
The following are car accident injuries that can cause long-term consequences:
- Shoulder injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Facial injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Knee injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Burn injuries
- Internal injuries
What Damages Can Car Accidents Cause?
Car accident victims can suffer damages that they could pursue compensation for through a civil claim. Economic damages are those with a financial value that has a bill attached to them. They can include medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, and property damage.
Non-economic damages are intangible losses that do not have an economic value but affect a victim’s quality of life. Some non-economic damages you could pursue compensation for include mental anguish, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Should You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Hiring a car accident lawyer can help with pursuing compensation for damages. They can use their experience and expertise to inform the car accident claim process. They can explain what steps you should take to put yourself in a position to recover financially from your accident.
An experienced car accident lawyer can help assess damages, collect evidence, explain state laws, and negotiate a settlement. They can put you in the best position to recover compensation to help ease the financial impact of long-term health consequences.
