Common Injuries in a Car Crash - Potter County, PA injury attorney
Whether you’re a new driver or have been driving for decades, being in a car accident is a traumatic, anxiety-filled experience.
I should know.
Since acquiring a driver’s license about twenty-seven years ago, I have had more than my fair share of car wrecks. Many of them, I can’t deny, were my own fault. My mom likes to pick on me for that time when I was seventeen and begged her to let me take the family minivan to drive myself and a bunch of friends despite her objection that I wasn’t “used to driving” it. She insisted that I drive it to and from school a few times first to see how I handled it. No problem. I dropped my younger brother off at his school, and in doing so, had to pull into a parking space. Well, in the two minutes I was there someone erected a telephone pole behind me, which of course, I backed into. (I stand by that version of events.). Others were not my fault, such as when someone pulled out in front of me. Or when I hit a patch of black ice and ran off the road - a common occurrence in Potter County, Pennsylvania 16915, where I now practice law.
One thing these all have in common is that they were frightening. (Well, the minivan incident was mostly frightening for how it bruised my pride and meant having to tell my parents I had backed into something . . . again.) Thankfully, I was not injured in most of these collisions, but a few times I was. Once my airbag deployed, and that left me with painful bruises and even a couple of burns. Another time, I pulled something in my neck as my head hit the driver’s side window. It turns out all of these are among the most common car accident injuries. The symptoms I suffered - soreness, headaches, bruising, stiffness - these are the most common car accident injuries. But, while they are common, they should not be ignored.
Below are six symptoms that should never be ignored if they occur after a car accident, even if they don’t arise until a few days or even weeks after the crash:
- Headache - this can be a sign of a concussion, whiplash, brain injury, or even a blood clot.
- Neck and Shoulder Pain - these can indicate whiplash, pulled or torn ligaments, or a spinal injury.
- Abdominal Pain - a potentially serious symptom that can be an indicator of internal bleeding.
- Back Pain - like neck and shoulder pain, this can be a symptom of whiplash, spinal injury, or ligament injury.
- Numbing and Bruising - can indicate a herniated disk or other spinal injury.
- Emotional Distress - this can signal post-traumatic stress disorder, concussion, or brain injury.
These common car accident injury symptoms need to be evaluated by a doctor.
If you aren’t sure what your next steps should be, our Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania 16915 personal injury attorneys can help you. Unfortunately, we can’t make your car accident less painful, but we can make sure the aftermath is pain free.
