Rear-end accidents often take victims by surprise, throwing them backward and forward. This happens suddenly as they sit at a stoplight or while coming to a stop in traffic. There are several common serious injuries that can sometimes develop over time. The five most common injuries sustained in a rear-end accidents are:
- Soft Tissue Injury
- Herniated Disks
- Brain Injury
- Broken or Fractured Bones
- Concussion
What Is Soft Tissue Injury?
A soft tissue injury is the damage of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body. Common soft tissue injuries usually occur from a sprain, strain, or blow. Soft tissue injuries can result in pain, swelling, bruising and loss of function.
One of the most common auto accident injuries occurs to the soft tissue of the spine, caused by the extreme movement of the body. When a vehicle unexpectedly rams into your vehicle, even at low speeds, the sudden snapping of your head forward and back can place unusual pressure on your spine, causing damage.
Symptoms of these injuries may include pain between the shoulder blades or neck, headaches, dizziness, and even vision impairment. You may not experience symptoms right away. Some victims do not realize they have been injured for days or even weeks following an accident.
What Is A Herniated Disk?
The bones that form the spine in the back are cushioned by discs. These discs act as shock absorbers for the spinal bones. A herniated disk happens when the outer fiber surrounding a disk becomes torn, usually due to trauma. A victim can experience a herniated disk in the cervical spine (neck) or lumbar spine (lower back) region. In serious cases, a victim may experience severe back pain, numbness, tingling, and, in some cases, paralysis.
Symptoms of these injuries vary greatly, depending on the position of the herniated disc and the size of the herniation. If the herniated disc is pressing on a nerve, there may be pain, numbness or weakness in the area of the body to which the nerve travels.
- Lumbar spine (lower back): Pressure on one or more nerves that contribute to the sciatic nerve can cause pain, burning, tingling, and numbness that radiates from the buttock into the leg and sometimes into the foot.
- Cervical spine (neck): nerve compression in the neck may include dull or sharp pain in the neck or between the shoulder blades, pain that radiates down the arm to the hand or fingers or numbness or tingling in the shoulder or arm.
What Is A Brain Injury?
Brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. Mild brain injury may affect the brain cells temporarily. More‑serious brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain. These injuries can result in long‑term complications or death.
Symptoms of these injuries vary greatly and can have wide‑ranging physical and psychological effects. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later. Some of the symptoms are loss of consciousness, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, being dazed, confused or disoriented, headache, nausea or vomiting, problems with speech, dizziness or loss of balance, sensory problems, such as blurred vision, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light or sound, and memory or concentration problems.
What Is A Broken or Fractured Bone?
Broken bones can be extremely severe, especially in the case of rear‑end accidents. Broken bones can lead to complications such as injuries to organs and incorrectly fused bones, leading to lifelong limb deformity. Even in the case where a bone heals correctly, the victim may continue to experience decreased functionality in that particular limb, sometimes permanently.
Symptoms of these injuries include swelling or bruising over a bone, deformity of an arm or leg, pain in the injured area that gets worse when the area is moved or pressure is applied, an inability to bear weight on the affected foot, ankle, or leg and a loss of function in the injured area.
What Is A Concussion?
A concussion is a type of brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around in the skull creating chemical changes in the brain. A concussion occurs when a person’s brain strikes his or her skull, causing an injury.
Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, inability to concentrate, and sensitivity to sounds and light.
What Is the 14 Day Rule?
To be eligible for personal injury protection (PIP) medical benefits under the law, persons injured in a motor vehicle accident must seek initial services and care within fourteen days after the motor vehicle accident.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a rear-end collision or any other kind of accident, contact a personal injury attorney who can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Why Fernandez & Hernandez?
Fernandez & Hernandez are advocates for victims injured in rear-end collisions, or any other kind of injury. If you or a loved one have been injured and need help getting compensation for your injuries or loss, call Tampa Personal Injury Attorney, Martin J. Hernandez of Fernandez & Hernandez at 813 229‑5353.
