Some local Taco Bell patrons who were just trying to enjoy their burritos and quesadillas on a recent Saturday afternoon escaped injury when a truck crashed into and damaged the building as they were inside. According to early reports, police had not yet determined the cause of the crash but, for those customers and employees inside, it was likely a scary scenario. Reports did not indicate whether the driver of the vehicle suffered any injuries as a result of the accident.
Types of Injuries That Can Be Sustained in Car Accidents
These folks inside the Taco Bell were lucky – things could have been far worse for many of them. As with any accident, there can be any number of different kinds of injuries that can occur. Some of the more common types of injuries that people can suffer as a result of car accidents may include soft tissue injuries such as:
- Whiplash: Particularly in accidents involving a rear-end collision, this injury is quite common. Often times the injury may not be felt right after the accident, but the symptoms may develop over the course of the days following the accident. Pains in the neck or back, headaches, and numbness or tingling in the extremities can all be signs of whiplash.
- Strains and sprains: Strains result when a muscle is torn from overstretching and can include pain, bruising, or swelling and are sometimes referred to as a pulled muscle. Sprains are similar injuries that involve a torn or overstretched ligament and include similar symptoms.
- Muscle spasms: When muscles contract and tense up, it can sometimes be painful and even forceful enough to tear ligaments or tendons, causing even more damage.
In addition to these soft tissue injuries, there are many other types of injuries that a car accident victim may suffer. Some of these include:
- Scrapes and Cuts: These injuries range from the most minor to very severe. Loose items in a car that are tossed around during a collision can be quite dangerous, and even something designed for safety, such as an airbag, can cause cuts and scrapes when deployed during an accident. Many injuries of this type are mild and require little if any medical treatment; however, on the other end of the range, these can be quite serious and require stitches
- Head Injuries: During a collision, even when wearing a seatbelt, a victim can hit their head on the inside of the vehicle, windshield, or steering wheel. As with scrapes and cuts, sometimes these injuries can be minor, such as concussions, but often times they are much more severe and may result in brain damage.
- Chest Injuries: During a collision, a car’s occupants can be thrown forward violently. When this occurs, the body can be thrown against the steering wheel or dashboard, or even against the safety harness or seat belt, resulting in anything from simple bruising to broken bones or internal injuries.
- Extremity Injuries: Any time a collision occurs and the occupants are jolted from their seats, there is a good chance that their arms and legs will hit the insides of the car with force. Resulting injuries, as in the categories above, can be someone minor and involve just scrapes and bruises. In more serious cases, however, a victim can easily suffer bone breaks and fractures.
Seeking Medical Attention After a Car Accident
Many people who are involved in an auto accident tend to minimize the accident and think they ‘are okay’ and that they have not been injured. However, as noted above, some injuries take hours or even days to fully develop symptoms. The longer you wait after an accident to seek medical attention for any potential injuries, the worse off you may be, for several reasons. For one, if you are injured as a result of an accident but you wait to go to the doctor, the insurance company or the other party can make an argument that the injuries were not a result of the accident. The second reason is that if you are injured as a result of an accident, the longer you wait to receive medical treatment, the worse it can be for your overall health. Never wait until the injuries and symptoms become worse to go to the doctor – go right away after the accident, even if just to be checked out, so that if you have sustained injuries you can receive the proper and prompt medical treatment you need to recover quickly.
The Proof Is In The Pictures
Whenever you have been involved in an auto accident, the best thing that you can do to protect yourself is to take pictures of any injuries you sustain so that you have some sort of proof of the injuries. Gathering photo documentation of the injuries as well as written documentation such as bills, prescriptions, or treatment plans for any injuries and expenses that you may incur for treatment of the injuries is necessary to ensure you have the best possible chance of recovering for your losses.
When You Have Been Involved In An Accident, Contact The Ohio Car Accident Lawyers
When accidents happen, you need legal representation you can trust. The attorneys at the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers offer competent and professional legal services you can rely on when you are facing any kind of legal matter. When you have been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your losses. An attorney with experience in a wide variety of accident cases knows the important factors at issue in any type of case. Choosing the right attorney can be a difficult decision, but when you start with the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers , you will know that you made the right choice. At the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers , we work hard to protect your rights and answer any questions that you may have. Contact the Toledo auto accident injury lawyers with the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers right away to schedule your no obligation consultation and let us help you make the best possible recovery for your losses.
