One of the most common types of car accidents you can be involved in, especially in busy cities like Austin, is a rear-end collision. Although people tend to think of these crashes as being relatively harmless, not all of them are mild “fender benders.”
Instead, many of these crashes cause significant injuries that can impact your quality of life for years to come. Rear-end collision injuries can range from minor bruises to spinal cord trauma, leaving you with a variety of medical expenses, lost wages, and the inability to live your life as you used to. Here are some of the most notable:
Soft Tissue Injuries
A rear-end crash can cause injuries to your ligaments, tendons, and muscles. You can stretch or tear them, causing significant pain and limiting your range of motion. Of all of these injuries, whiplash is perhaps the most common with rear-end collisions.
Whiplash occurs when your head moves forcefully back and forth due to acceleration or deceleration. Your neck tissues will do everything they can to sustain your head, leading the muscles to strain.
Facial Injuries
In speeding accidents or those involving large vehicles, the force that the other vehicle may exert on your car could be significant. Your seat belt or airbag may not prevent you from hitting your face on the dashboard or steering wheel. This means that you could hit your nose, cheeks, and other delicate structures. You could even suffer broken teeth.
Facial injuries can have a huge impact on your daily life and commonly require reconstructive procedures.
Seat Belt Injuries
Your seat belt is a vital safety feature, but it can cause injuries itself while protecting you from more serious harm. For example, you can sustain rib fractures or bruising to the organs in the area. In the most severe cases, you can experience internal bleeding. If not treated promptly, this could lead to hypovolemic shock.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
The force of the accident could damage your vertebrae. These are the bones that make up your spinal column. They can suffer fractures and alignment problems. There is also a risk of damaging the cushions between the vertebrae, which can lead to herniated disc pain.
Some of the most severe injuries you can suffer involve damage to your spinal cord. Any injury that impacts the spinal cord could come with a risk of paralysis.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) impact how your brain functions. They can involve an external force causing your brain to move or twist, or something piercing the skull and damaging brain tissue. The mildest type of TBI is the concussion, but even this type of injury can still cause overwhelming symptoms.
Psychological Trauma
Being in a stressful and frightening incident like a rear-end collision can affect you psychologically, too. You may experience depression or anxiety, and some people may even struggle with phobias related to cars. Long-term effects of rear-end collisions can also include post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be a debilitating condition.
Contact Our Austin Car Accident Lawyers at McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you have sustained injuries from being rear-ended, it’s essential to consider your legal options. You may be entitled to begin a personal injury claim for compensation if the other party acted wrongfully or negligently. Through a claim, a lawyer can protect your rights and help you recover economic and non-economic damages to address your losses.
For more information, call McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with one of our Austin car accident attorneys. We can help you understand your legal right to compensation following a rear-end crash.
If you’ve been injured, contact your nearest McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers location to schedule a free consultation today. We proudly serve clients throughout Austin, TX in Travis County, as well as Salt Lake City, UT in Salt Lake County.
McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers – Austin, TX Office
502 W 14th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-0222
McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers – Salt Lake City, UT Office
650 S 500 W Suite 290, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(385) 462-7630