Types of Car Accident Injuries In Washington

Car accidents are a terrifying experience even when the driver and passengers walk away without injuries, but when car accident victims suffer serious injuries it leaves physical, emotional, and financial consequences.

The consequences of a car accident are the victim’s “damages,” and often include medical expenses, lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering as well as property damage to a vehicle.

Though the financial losses associated with a serious car accident can be substantial and distressing, it’s the physical impacts of the injuries and the emotional toll of a car accident that are the worst aspects for victims, especially those who face ongoing medical treatments or partial or total disability.

Even relatively minor injuries can cause trauma and financial hardship with just a single missed paycheck. Catastrophic injuries are life-altering and may make it difficult for injury victims to earn a living.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accidents in Washington range in severity from parking lot fender-benders to multi-car pileups. Any accident resulting in injuries is painful and traumatic. Common car accident injuries that can disrupt the individual’s life include the following:

• Head injuries
• Fractures
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Lacerations
• Knee injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Soft tissue injuries like sprains, torn ligaments, and bruising

Car accidents like rear-end accidents, head-on collisions, sideswipes, and T-bone collisions cause injuries ranging from mild to severe.

Passengers riding in the backseat are at less risk of severe injury than those in the front seat of the vehicle except in cases of T-bone collisions or side-impact collisions. Because there is less metal between the point of impact and the passengers in a collision against the side of a vehicle, side-impact collisions often cause serious injuries.

Severe and Catastrophic Injuries In Washington Car Accidents

Car accident reconstruction experts warn that every car accident involves three collisions: the motor vehicle collision, the external body collision, and the collision within the body.

The crash force of a car accident causes tremendous trauma, even with life-saving seatbelts in use. In an accident at 55mph a 120-pound person becomes 6,600-pound force slammed against the restriction of the seatbelt. The person may suffer significant injury from the force alone, despite the fact that the seatbelt and airbags save their life.

An unbelted individual can become a deadly projectile inside the vehicle, harming not only themselves but also other passengers in the accident. Common serious and catastrophic injuries in car accidents include the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Limb loss
• Burns
• Multiple fractures
• Internal organ damage
• Disfigurement/scarring
• Loss of one of the senses such as hearing or vision
• Severe back injuries
• Severe neck injuries

Severe or catastrophic injuries are life-altering, with impacts on the individual’s ability to earn a living and perform daily routines. This type of injury has serious emotional impacts as well as physical effects on car accident victims.

Compensation for Car Accident Victims

While nothing can erase the injury or undo the harm, Washington allows car accident victims to recover compensation for their injuries, as well as property damage, when someone else was at fault for the accident.

Common damages compensated in car accident claims include medical expenses, lost income, future income loss, and pain and suffering.

When a car accident victim dies from their injuries, close family members may achieve a sense of justice as well as financial compensation through a wrongful death claim, which can be done with the help of a Renton personal injury lawyer.