Every year thousands lose their lives to car accidents. No matter how cautiously you drive or follow all traffic rules, you can never be accident-proof. Houston car accident injuries, however, can be brutal.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Houston reported over 68,682 vehicle crashes and 253 fatalities in 2019. These are without a doubt very concerning figures. There are multiple reasons why accidents happen, but there’s usually one driver who was a safe driver and got in the accident because of the other. As long as you’re on the road, you could be that driver too.
So, the risk of getting into a car crash is always there and you can hardly ever escape an injury in a car accident. Here are a few types of high-impact Houston car accident injuries that a driver may sustain.
Airbag and Seatbelt Injuries:
The safety gears are recommended by the law for a reason. Airbags and seatbelts reduce the risk of sustaining a serious injury or fatality in a car accident. However, in an unfortunate event, these safety features can also become life-threatening or cause injuries in a high-impact accident.
The violent deployment of safety bags when the vehicle crashes at high speeds can knock the driver unconscious. It usually hits a driver in the face or side of the body and the effect can be unsparing. It can also potentially cause burns, broken noses, eye injuries, abrasions, and even asthma attacks. An airbag releases a chemical in powder form when it is deployed. That powder can cause your airways to irritate and trigger an asthma attack.
Seatbelts, on the other hand, also mean to keep you safe can cause injuries in a high-impact accident. Since your body is at the mercy of the seatbelt when the car crashes it can fracture your ribs, cause burns and abrasions, bruise your chest, and cut into your skin.
Broken or fractured ribs can puncture your lungs which is why it is a serious medical emergency. To prevent death, the individual needs to be taken into medical care as soon as possible.
Broken or Fractured Bones:
The angle at which a vehicle is hit in a high-impact car accident makes a huge difference. The driver will be pushed around by the forces they’ll experience in the crash. They may hit the dashboard, side window, or console and if they weren’t wearing a seatbelt, things could get worse.
Without a seatbelt, the body of the driver will be traveling at a high speed; inside the car, it can hit in countless ways. This could cause bones to break. The bones that most commonly break during high-impact accidents are the skull, ribs, arms, clavicles, wrists, hips, and legs.
Having a broken bone can be painful and critical. You may end up needing surgery or be hospitalized for months. It also requires physical therapy in some cases. You may also have to miss work, lose wages, or suffer a permanent disability.
Head, Neck, and Brain Injuries:
The head, neck, brain, and spine are vulnerable areas in a car accident. You might sustain injuries that could be severe enough to paralyze you for the rest of your life. Experiencing an extreme force to the head, neck, and spine during a high-impact accident can cause them to move in unnatural ways.
The damage caused to these parts would be incredibly painful and deadly. Concussions, traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, herniated or bulging spinal discs, brain swelling and bleeding, paralysis, nerve damage, and death are all common high-impact accident injuries.
Internal Injuries:
A high-impact accident can swell or bruise your heart and lungs. Your internal organs can be pushed against your spine, chest wall, ribs, and other hard bones. This will lead to internal bleeding and bruising.
The spleen, kidneys, liver, and lungs can all be affected brutally in high-speed accidents. They may also sustain severe penetrating injuries damaging the organs for life. A part of the car can break and pierce through your skin into an organ during the crash. Doctors often find ruptured bowels in high-impact accidents. This can be a fatal injury as if any bile or waste is leaked into your torso, there will be a high risk of getting sepsis which can instantly lead to death.
Hire an Attorney:
Car crashes may leave you helpless and put a huge strain on your finances. You will have to suffer the pain yourself but the finances can be recovered. Hiring an attorney for your car accident injuries will allow you to get the compensation you deserve.
Houston Injury Lawyers are experts in dealing with Houston car accident injuries. The sooner, the better. So reach out to us today, and get in touch with one of our lawyers.