At Caulder & Valentine, our North Carolina car accident attorneys have helped clients recover much-needed compensation for a wide range of injuries. We know that each injury poses its own challenge and has the potential to affect your life in different ways. We also know that car accident injuries can be incredibly expensive. According to insurance companies, the average cost of a bodily injury claim after a car accident is approximately $15,500. We fight to help our injured clients recover the money that they need to recover and move forward with their lives.
As we have helped our clients over the years we have noticed that certain injuries occur more frequently than others. If you have suffered any of the following injuries in a car accident you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation. Call our North Carolina car accident attorneys to set up a free consultation and find out more about how we can help you.
Fractures
Broken bones and fractures are one of the most common car accident injuries. When cars are involved in collisions, our bodies may be unable to absorb the force of impact. As a result, victims are likely to suffer from broken bones. This can happen when the motorist or passengers are thrown from a vehicle, pinned between pieces of equipment, or attempting to protect themselves with their hands. Areas of the body that are often susceptible to fractures in car accidents include:
- Collarbone
- Pelvis
- Hands
- Fingers
- Toes
- Ribs, and
- Femur.
Impaired Senses
Car accident victims may also suffer from an impairment and/or loss of their senses. Hearing and eyesight are the most frequently affected senses. Loud noises, the powerful deployment of airbags, and flying debris can all affect a passenger's hearing and vision.
Traumatic Brain Injury
According to the CDC, approximately 1.7 million people will suffer a traumatic brain injury every year. Twenty percent of these traumatic brain injuries will be sustained in a car accident.
The brain is suspended in a viscous liquid in our skulls. A brain injury occurs when the brain comes into contact with anything other than this protective liquid. A traumatic brain injury will generally be categorized as a closed head injury or an open head injury. A closed head injury occurs when the brain is damaged because it makes violent contact with the skull. An open head injury occurs when the skull is pierced and the brain is damaged by outside elements.
Signs that a victim has suffered a traumatic brain injury include:
- Memory loss
- Slurred speech and/or vision
- Limited ability to solve problems
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Seizures, and
- Loss of consciousness.
In some cases, these injuries can be minor and victims can eventually resume normal life activities. Other times, a traumatic brain injury may cause irreversible damage and limit a victim's life functions.
Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury is defined as any damage to your spinal column. Your spinal column is responsible for some of the most vital aspects of your life, including movement and sensation. When passengers are involved in a car accident they are often subject to sudden, sharp, and violent movements. Seat belts help to secure a passenger's torso, but the head and neck are often susceptible to injury. When cars are involved in a crash, a passenger's neck and head may move quickly and violently, causing serious damage to the spinal column. Spinal cord injuries must be treated promptly and carefully to avoid further harm.
Car accident victims who sustain a spinal cord injury may suffer from:
- Loss of sensation
- Altered sensation
- Loss of speech
- Inability to control the bladder and bowels
- Inability to regulate body functions and temperature
- Intense pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Paralysis
- Paraplegia (loss of movement of your bottom half), and
- Quadriplegia (loss of movement in all limbs).
Chest Injury
A passenger's chest may become injured in a car accident. Our ribs exist to protect the vital organs in our chest. When the ribs are fractured in an accident, some of our vital organs may become exposed or punctured. Internal organ damage caused by broken ribs and/or outside debris can be life-threatening.
Burn Injury
Car accident victims who are involved in particularly violent crashes may suffer from burn injuries. Burn injuries include any harm to the skin and/or delicate tissue. Burns can be caused by extreme temperatures (both hot and cold), caustic chemicals, electricity, or friction. When cars carrying dangerous chemicals and gasoline collide, there is a potential for extreme heat and fire. Passengers who are exposed to these dangerous situations may suffer burn injuries. Burn injuries range from first degree (the least serious, where only the outer skin is damaged) to fourth degree (the most serious, where all skin and tissue are destroyed).
Traumatic Amputation
Cars are incredibly large, heavy, and powerful pieces of equipment. When cars are involved in particularly violent crashes they can be crushed. Passengers who are caught inside can potentially lose their limbs. Amputations can be incomplete or complete. An incomplete amputation occurs when a person's body part is not entirely severed from the body. A complete amputation, on the other hand, occurs when a body part is completely separated from the rest of the body. Amputations not only cause the victim to physically lose a part of their body, but cause a variety of other serious issues. Excessive and rapid blood loss, shock, and infection are common consequences of an amputated limb. Longterm consequences include depression or other mental illness or emotional pain.
Wrongful Death
Car accidents are the leading cause of unintentional deaths in the United States. In 2014, more than 1,275 people were killed in North Carolina motor vehicle accidents. If the accident was caused by another person's negligent or wrongful conduct, the victim's family members may be entitled to compensation for the loss of their loved one.
Recovering Compensation for Your Injuries
Have you been injured in a North Carolina car accident? Call the personal injury attorneys at Caulder & Valentine today to find out if you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for those injuries. The money you recover from a personal injury claim can help to cover the costs you incur as you fight to recover from your accident-related injuries. Hospitalization, surgery, medicine, and rehabilitation can all be incredibly costly, not to mention the emotional toll the injury may cause.
Our North Carolina car accident attorneys will fight to make sure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries and harms. It is important to act quickly, so don't hesitate to call for your consultation today.
