Both minor and serious car accidents have the capacity to leave devastating injuries in their wake. Even a minor fender bender may lead to a traumatic brain injury that causes years of therapy.
No one expects their loved ones to get into a car accident, but the unexpected happens on the roads of Anderson, South Carolina every single day.
In South Carolina, thousands of individuals are injured each year in preventable auto accidents. Negligent drivers who cause motor vehicle accidents cost the state over $1 billion each year. The toll on the states economy and on unsuspecting families is enormous.
At Harbin & Burnett, we help families fight for all of their personal injury rights under South Carolina law. We can help you assert your rights.
For compassionate legal assistance, call 1(888)821-0247 today.
Most Common Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries
Motor vehicle accident injuries run the gamut from minor to fatal. Regardless of the type of injury, many auto accident victims find themselves unable to return to work and go about their daily lives.
Negligent drivers cause injured drivers and passengers to deal with hospital bills, rehabilitation costs and face lost wages.
Neck Injuries
Many motor vehicle accident victims are rear-ended. Neck injuries, which can occur in all types of auto accidents, are most common in accidents where a vehicle is rear-ended.
In those types of accidents, individuals are likely to suffer from severe whiplash and neck strain injuries. In some cases, they may experience more severe neck injuries such as cervical dislocation or damaged discs in the neck.
Whiplash and neck strain occur when the neck and head are unexpectedly quickly jerked back and forth during low or high speed motor vehicle accidents. When the neck is rapidly pulled back and forth, the muscles and ligaments in the neck are stretched beyond a normal range of motion. This can cause excruciating pain.
Whiplash injuries and most neck injuries are soft tissue injuries that are difficult to prove. Neck injuries limit head and neck motion and cause vision difficulties
Scarring
Accidents where glass shatters, chemicals spill and fires start are common causes of scarring and disfigurement. Oftentimes, victims experience lacerations and burns to the face and torso which can cause deep scarring.
Scars, and facial scars in particular, can be devastating to an individuals self-esteem and confidence. Individuals with extensive scarring report lack of comfort in work and in life with reduced quality of life issues. Additionally, scarring that damages the nerves or muscles may also impact motor control functions.
Scars in an auto accident may be caused by:
- Cuts
- Burns
- Chemical spills
- Nerve damage
Unfortunately, treating scars may require special burn doctors and plastic surgery. The process of treating severe scarring can quickly become very expensive.
Broken Bones
Broken bones and fractured bones are common in car accidents that are severe, such as those in which a multiple vehicle collision occurs or where a vehicle rolls over. Broken bones are especially dangerous because they can lead to a whole host of internal injuries that are difficult to treat.
Individuals with broken ribs, for example, may also have a punctured lung. In a collision where a broken bone occurs it is vital that medical professionals evaluate and treat all of the potentially related injuries as well.
Common broken bone injuries can include:
- Spinal injuries
- Skull fractures
- Hip fractures
- Broken pelvis
- Busted ribs
- Tibia and fibula fractures in the legs
- Broken and fractured wrists
Broken bones take a very long time to heal and may require extensive rehabilitation. After a car accident, individuals suffering from broken bones require emergency care. The most serious broken bone injuries may also require multiple surgeries and the use of metal plates and screws to hold the bones together.
Amputations & Lost Limbs
Amputation injuries after a car accident are not as common as other motor vehicle accident injuries. When these types of injuries do occur, however, the victim is faced with a lifelong and irreversible disability. This is often a disability that will forever alter how a person lives and negatively impacts every aspect of their lives.
Amputations caused by car accidents are called traumatic amputations because they are performed in the aftermath of a traumatic accident.
Medical professionals perform amputations after motor vehicle accidents where the fingers, toes, arms and legs of a victim are so damaged that they cannot be saved.
The majority of traumatic amputations target the upper arms. As such, the most common amputation injury after a car accident is the loss of the arms.
Car accident victims healing from an amputation must learn to live life with a prosthetic limb. An experienced amputation personal injury attorney can help you get the financial benefits you and your family deserve.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
While recent developments in the NFL have brought greater attention to the long-term impact of concussions and head injuries, car accident victims are also very susceptible to traumatic brain injuries.
When a motor vehicle accident occurs, drivers and passengers may hit their heads on the steering wheel, on the seats, on the windows or even the front and side airbags. Additionally, oftentimes, objects in the vehicle that become unstable after during an accident can cause severe head wounds.
Unfortunately, a traumatic brain injury after a car accident may not show up right away. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include,
- Difficulty thinking
- Difficulty retaining new information
- Feeling tired all the time
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Headaches or migraines
- Emotional outbursts
- Mood swings
Traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries require heightened vigilance. If you or a loved one experiences any of the preceding symptoms after a motor vehicle accident, immediately contact a medical provider.
Back Injuries
A healthy back is central to almost everything we need to do. Back injuries and associated back pains can negatively impact every facet of our lives from work and school to sleeping and driving.
In most motor vehicle accidents, the lower back is the most common back injury. Car accident victims often suffer from sprained backs, herniated discs and broken or fractured vertebrae.
Since the lower back is so central to human mobility, back injuries often require months, and sometimes years, of physical therapy to heal.
In the meantime, the injured party is forced to try and resume their lives while experiencing extreme pain and limited mobility.
Drivers make poor decisions on Americas roadways and then cause motor vehicle accidents that then have catastrophic injuries. When they make such poor driving decisions, they must be held accountable for their negligent actions.
Leading Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents
Since 1896, when the first motor vehicle accident was recorded in London, more than 25 million people have died worldwide. Despite enormous strides in automotive safety technology, the number of auto accident injuries and fatalities continues to rise across the world.
This is in part due to human error. As the following list of leading motor vehicle accident causes demonstrates, human behavior is largely responsible for the continuing worldwide increase of motor vehicle accidents.
The five leading causes of motor vehicle accidents include:
- Distracted drivers
- Sleepy drivers
- Drunk drivers
- Reckless speeding drivers
- Aggressive drivers
Many of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents are preventable. Drivers who use their smart devices while driving are making a conscious decision to endanger themselves and everyone else on the roads. Similarly, drivers who speed, tailgate, and generally drive recklessly also place everyone at risk.
To drive while exhausted or intoxicated is among the most irresponsible actions that a driver can take. At our firm, we have assisted local families devastated by the negligent actions of drivers who drove while drowsy or under the influence of alcohol.
It is clear that the leading causes of auto accidents in America and the world are accidents caused by improper driving behavior.
Harbin & Burnett: Your Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers
At Harbin & Burnett, our auto accident attorneys have decades of experience guiding injured South Carolina residents through the entire personal injury process.
We help injured families get the financial compensation they deserve after a catastrophic injury. In the past, our attorneys have helped clients recover settlements that cover:
- Hospital bills
- Prescription costs
- Disability
- Physical therapy
- Car replacement
- Lost wages
- Wrongful death compensation
- Pain and suffering
If you are injured, do not hesitate to contact us. We are available to discuss all of your legal options. Dont let negligent drivers get away with their reckless driving.
We offer free no-obligation consultations. We dont get paid unless you do.*
Call 1 (888)821-0247 or Fill out the FREE Case Evaluation form.
Back to Top