Regardless of what causes a car accident or how severe the damage to the vehicles, drivers and passengers can suffer an array of bodily and emotional injuries. While some car accident victims are lucky enough to escape with only minor aches and pains, others sustain life-altering injuries.

These are the 4 most common types of car accident injuries we see in Florida car accident victims.

1. Neck and Back Injuries

The rapid deceleration caused when two cars collide can wreak havoc on the bodies of drivers and passengers. One of the most common injuries sustained is whiplash. The sudden and violent jerking movements can damage vertebrae, ligaments, or discs. Minor whiplash can simply cause neck pain and stiffness, but more severe cases can lead to longer-term effects such as blurred vision, headaches, memory problems, and depression.

Neck and back injuries are much more common in read-end collisions.

2. Head and Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions are some of the most serious and overlooked car accident injuries. Concussions are caused by the head smashing against a part of the vehicle itself such as the airbag, headrest, or steering wheel. The short-term effects of TBIs include nausea and vomiting, numbness, or blurred vision. But TBI can cause long-term damage as well such as chronic headaches, depression, behavioral changes, and seizures. While TBI symptoms may occur immediately, they could also take days to manifest. Therefore, we recommend that anyone who has had head trauma in a car accident should seek medical attention immediately to assess the damage. Medical treatment for brain injuries is complicated and costly, it is critical to have secure records to detail the impact of the injury on your life and wellbeing.

Head-on collisions are particularly likely to cause brain and head trauma.

3. Bone Fractures and Tissue Damage

The sheer force involved in a high-speed collision is enough to fracture bones and tear muscles and ligaments. Simple bone fractures can take months to heal and result in lost wages. Multiple or complex fractures, muscle tears, and ligament damage often require surgery and extensive physical therapy, which will be a more significant financial burden on you and your family.

Your chances of suffering serious bone fractures or ligament damage increase significantly in head-on collisions, sideswipe or “T-bone” crashes, and in high-speed accidents.

4. Psychological and Emotional Injuries

Unless you have suffered a serious car accident before, you may not fully appreciate the range of psychological and emotional effects such an experience can have on a person, especially children and young adults. In fact, a recent meta-analysis of previous studies concluded that over 22% of car crash survivors develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These psychological harms won’t be immediately obvious like cuts or fractures; they may take days or weeks to manifest. And you can be sure the insurance company or at-fault driver will fight tooth and nail to avoid paying for such damages.

Any type or severity of car accident can psychologically scar a victim.

Get Help and Start to Recover

If you have suffered any of these four common car accident injuries or some other injury in your car accident, you need to seek out an experienced Florida accident and injury attorney who will guide you through the claims process.

The personal injury lawyers here at Personal Injury & Accident Law Center would love to speak to you about your case and tell you how we can help you get on the path to recovery. Call us today at (561)372-3800 to schedule a free case evaluation.