If you have ever been involved in a car accident, you know how common it is for someone to be injured. Even relatively minor rear-end collision can cause serious, long-term injuries. In some cases, it may be necessary to talk with a Philadelphia injury lawyer to sort out any damages that occurred during a rear-end accident. Some of the most common injuries following a rear-end accident are set out below.
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- Whiplash
This type of injury happens when the car is thrust forward in a rear-end accident. Your body stays in the same position and likely becomes rigid. Due to the car’s movement and your body’s tense nature, you experience whiplash. Your neck may ache, along with other muscles in your body.
Whiplash is one of several injuries that you may not notice immediately. You may feel fine for a day, a week, or even months before you start to feel the pain associated with the accident.
- Broken bones
Depending on the severity of the rear-end collision, a passenger can end up breaking a bone or two. No matter where the passenger is sitting in the car, there are plenty of areas in which bones can come into contact with parts of the vehicle, causing the bones to fracture or break. This is one reason why people are encouraged to not become too tense during an accident. The more rigid you make your body, the more likely an injury can occur.
- Wrist injuries
You may not break a bone during an accident, but you can still fracture or tear a ligament. The wrist is one common place in the body that frequently becomes injured in rear-end crashes. It is particularly common for drivers, whose hands may be on the steering wheel at the time of the collision. If your body is jolted forward, you may sprain your wrists. As a passenger, you may naturally reach out your hands to stop your body from moving causing a fractured wrist.
- Knee injuries
Like your wrists, your knees are susceptible to damage in a rear-end collision. They may be pushed forward into the car’s dashboard causing a strain. To help prevent this from happening, make sure your seat is at the right distance away from the dash while driving or riding in the car.
- Concussion
If you happen to hit your head during a rear-end accident, you may sustain a concussion. This can occur if you hit your forehead on the dashboard or window, or if you simply experience enough whiplash that you head is jolted too much. Similar to whiplash, you may not know you are suffering from a concussion, so it is crucial to seek medical treatment right away.
If you think you may have experienced one or more of these injuries during a rear-end car accident in the past, find a Philadelphia personal injury attorney to speak to about your case. Set up an appointment with the team at Dan Doyle Law Group by calling today or contacting us online.