With the roadways being so busy and congested nowadays. It is not surprising that there are so many car accidents with injuries to innocent victims. It is also not a surprise that these accidents can result in physical and mental injury requiring long-term rehabilitation.
Trucks and other large vehicles are especially dangerous because they can cause serious injury. This usually happens by striking a smaller vehicle or pedestrian. In addition, they can easily become airborne if they are traveling too fast or get into an accident with an immovable object such as a tree.
While any car accident can be scary, it’s important to remember that there are varying degrees of injury. Some are more serious than others, and some require treatment for a longer time.
Here are a few of the most common car accidents that require long-term rehabilitation.
Rear-end accidents
When one vehicle rear-ends another vehicle. This type of accident is also commonly referred to as a “fender bender” or a “bumper car.” Regardless of what you call it, rear-end accidents/fender benders can cause serious injuries, including:
- Bruising of the neck or back from the sudden forward thrust against your seat belt or air bag.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from hitting your head on the windshield, roof, or dashboard in the collision and subsequent deceleration. For a personal injury case involving TBI’s, visit now a brain injury lawyer.
- Cuts and lacerations from broken glass or other debris in the car interior.
Rollover accidents
A rollover accident is when a vehicle turns on its side or flips over. The largest percentage of car accidents that cause lifelong injuries are rollovers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about half of all fatal car accidents are fatal because of rollover accidents. Rollovers can be very dangerous and even deadly, especially because they occur in the least amount of time possible and require the most amount of recovery time.
Because a rollover accident involves a vehicle rolling over on its side or roof instead of remaining upright, occupants are more likely to become trapped inside the vehicle. This leads to a higher chance of injury than a regular car accident. Rollover accidents can lead to serious injuries, including death, paralysis, brain damage, spinal cord damage, and broken bones, lacerations, and head trauma. Some people may experience short-term or even long-term rehabilitation for their injuries.
T-Bone accidents
T-Bone accidents occur when the front of one car strikes the side of another vehicle. The causes of rollovers can be numerous. One common cause is due to a driver who makes an improper turn or swerves, which results in the vehicle losing control and rolling over. Another common cause of rollovers is due to drivers who are under the influence. It can be from drugs or alcohol. This also happens when drivers exceed the speed limit or drive too fast for conditions. The driver could lose control and rollover as a result of speeding.
These accidents often cause critical damage to the driver’s or passenger’s side of the vehicle, resulting in extensive neck or back injuries. The force from T-Bone accidents often causes whiplash injuries that can require a lot of time in rehab. They can also cause broken bones, leading to similar long-term pain and discomfort. The good news is that most people will have a full recovery within six months, but it may take up to a year before they are completely pain-free and make a full recovery.
Sideswipe accidents
Sideswipe accidents happen when your car is hit by a vehicle passing another car. It’s also known as a “right-of-way accident,” or when the other driver is at fault. This type of accident typically happens when drivers are distracted, such as when they’re texting, eating, or changing the radio station. It occurs when one vehicle sideswipes another.
The damage left by a sideswipe accident can be devastating. Often, they result in severe whiplash and head injuries that require long-term rehabilitation. They may also cause significant orthopedic and internal injuries that will require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Dooring Accidents
A dooring accident occurs when an open door strikes the side of another vehicle, causing moderate damage and minor injury. While this type of accident may not result in life-threatening injuries, it can cause major pain while healing and an inability to walk without assistance during recovery. The most common injuries sustained in dooring accidents are broken collarbones, ribs, collarbones, and concussions. In extreme cases, especially if the accidents involve bikers and motorists, cyclists can suffer severe spinal cord trauma if they fall off their bikes after being hit by an open door. Injuries like these can cause serious long-term effects if medical professionals with experience treating traumatic injuries are not properly treated.
Turn-signal accidents are not as common as some of the others on this list, but they can be just as serious. In 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 326 fatal turn-signal accidents. On average, these accidents caused 568 injuries and 42 deaths each year. The majority (61 percent) of turn-signal accidents took place when a driver was making a left turn at an intersection. The next most likely scenario was a driver turning from a lane into another lane with a median.
Turning left was more dangerous than turning right for several reasons:
- It has a much higher traffic flow than right turns.
- Left turns occur at intersections where other vehicles are moving in all directions, while right-hand turns can only cross paths with oncoming traffic or vehicles coming from the same direction.
- Drivers who make left turns often have to wait to merge into traffic because the lane they are turning onto is behind stopped vehicles or bicycles.
Takeaway
Whether you have involvement in a car accident or not, you have to be very careful while driving. This goes the same when boating. You should be aware that you can get into a car accident anytime. Vehicle accidents can be very dangerous and can cause long-term health problems if not treated in time. Some of the common types of injuries that link with car accidents are listed above. They require immediate medical attention, so they don’t become life-threatening.
