Auto Accident Injuries: 7 Common Injuries Following Auto Accident and Its Symptoms & Signs

Meeting with auto accident can be an horrific experience for the people involved in the accident. It is not just the loss of your car but the lasting impact that the auto accident can have on your body, health, and quality of life due to the injuries that you are and your loved ones are likely to suffer from as a result of auto accident. This article covers the 7 common injuries that a person is likely to encounter after an auto accident.

1. Head Injury Caused by Auto Accident

   Head Injury is very common in auto accident as during the high impact collision, head tends to hit the steering wheel or the side windows leading to some serious injuries to the head and brain.

   Symptoms of Head Injury Following Auto Accident

   • Bleeding
   • Complaint of headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness
   • Loss of memory, convulsion
   • Severe intractable pain
   • Severe headache
   • Symptoms of agitation, profound confusion
   • Inappropriate answers to verbal command
   • Blurring vision and ringing in the ear
   • Semiconscious or unconscious
   • Lethargic, Weakness

   

   Signs of Head Injury Following Auto Accident

   • Pale anemic skin
   • Low blood pressure and heart rate
   • Restless and unable to stand or sit
   • Weakness- unable to lift arms or legs
   • Signs of penetrating wound and bleeding
   • Uneven surface over the skull contour indicating possible fracture
   • Signs of weakness or paralysis of extremities: one or all four extremities

2. Face Injury Caused by Auto Accident

   Facial injury is caused by impact with air bag, steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, side window, car seats, or shattered glass.

   Symptoms and Signs of Face Injury Following Auto Accident:

   • Bruises and Laceration
   • Fracture– mandible, maxilla and frontal bone
   • Dislocation– temporomandibular joint, dental injuries
   • Bleeding– moderate to severe bleeding control by pressure dressing

3. Back Injury Caused by Auto Accident

   Most common back injury is neck injury secondary to whiplash injury.

   Symptoms and Signs of Back Injury Following Auto Accident:

   • Severe pain
   • Bruises, laceration and bleeding observed over skin
   • Penetrating wound
   • Hematoma
   • Severe paravertebral muscle spasm.

   

4. Chest Injury Caused by Auto Accident

   Chest Injury is again very common in auto accident, especially if it is a head-on collision as the steering wheel is likely to hit your chest with great force thereby causing some serious damage to the chest bone.

   Symptoms and Signs of Chest Injury Following Auto Accident:

   • Chest wall pain and intercostal neuralgia
   • Fractured Rib
   • External bleeding
   • Short of breath, Difficulties in breathing
   • Pale skin and anemic
   • Blood in sputum
   • Weakness, lethargic
   • Agitation and anxious
   • Alert and not confuse
   • Memory and vision normal
   • Penetrating wound

   

5. Abdominal Injury Caused by Auto Accident

   Victims of Auto Accident are known to sustain seat belt injury, which is associated with a very high rate of injury to the Abdomen. There is a high chances of sustaining abrasion and hematoma with seat belt injury to the abdomen.

   Symptoms and Signs of Abdominal Injury Following Auto Accident

   • Severe abdominal pain
   • External bleeding
   • Difficulties in breathing
   • Pale skin and anemic
   • Blood in stool, urine and vomits
   • Dizziness and confusion
   • Lethargy
   • Vomiting blood
   • Coughing blood with sputum
   • Blood in stool
   • Penetrating wound

6. Fracture Caused by Auto Accident

   A very common consequence of auto accident is fracture or broken bone. Listed below are the common fractures that a person is likely to sustain in auto accident.

   Lower Extremities Fractures– Fracture of femur, tibia, fibula, ankle and metatarsal bone.

   Upper Extremities Fractures– Fracture of humerus, radius, ulna, wrist bone and metacarpal.

   

   Symptoms and Signs of Fracture Following Auto Accident

   • Severe intractable pain
   • Bleeding and penetrating wound
   • Signs of fracture of bone
   • Pale skin and anemic
   • Dizziness and confusion
   • Lethargic
   • Agitation and restless
   • Weakness in fractured extremity only
   • Low blood pressure
   • Rapid heart rate
   • Unable to stand or sit
   • Unable to lift fracture limb.

7. Joint Dislocation

   Joint Dislocation are very common in Auto Accident. Listed below the joints that are likely to get dislocated in the event of an auto accident:

   Lower Extremities– Hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint and metatarsal joint.

   Upper Extremities– Shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint and metacarpal joint.

   Symptoms and Signs of Joint Dislocation Following Auto Accident:

   • Severe intractable pain
   • Agitation and restlessness
   • Lethargic and dizziness
   • Weakness in dislocated extremity only
   • Pale skin
   • Low blood pressure
   • Rapid heart rate
   • Unable to stand or sit
   • Unable to lift arms or legs
   • Signs of penetrating wound
   • Signs of bleeding
   • Signs of dislocation of the joint.

Also Read:

• Causes of Truck Accidents, Common Injuries Sustained & How A Lawyer Can Help Settle Claims
• Automobile Accident Injuries: Types of Injury-Mild, Moderate or Severe Injuries, Medical Management of Injuries Following Automobile Accident
• Common Injuries in a Rear-End Collision & Role of Personal Injury Lawyer in Rear-End Collision
• Common Injuries in a Side-Swipe Car Accident
• Common Injuries in Head-On Collision & Role of Personal Injury Lawyers in Head-On Collision