Driving a car isn’t for everyone. Although some people may argue that knowing how to drive a vehicle is an essential life skill, being a poor driver can lead to accidents. It’s so easy to overlook proper safety precautions when you’re enjoying a long drive on a long, traffic-free road. You may even be lax when you’re behind the wheel while cruising the freeway.
Maneuvering a car can be fun. However, if you’re not careful, your road trip can quickly turn into a traumatizing experience. Many vehicle-related accidents where people get severely injured happen each year. Here are five permanent injuries you can sustain should you find yourself in a car accident:
1. Burns
Some car accidents can cause severe burns if the vehicle catches fire upon impact and the passenger is unable to get out of the car right away. Depending on the extent of the damage, the burn can be painful and result in a permanent injury.
There are varying degrees of injuries caused by fires, and the most serious one is a fourth-degree burn. In this situation, the fire ends up damaging not only the layers of the skin but also the tissue underneath, possibly even muscle and bone. If a person suffers from this kind of burn, they’ll no longer feel pain in the area affected since the nerve endings are also damaged.
Burns from a serious accident or fire are different from a typical injury. You may have experienced burning your fingers while handling a hot object such as a pot filled with boiling water. In most cases, burning your skin due to minor mishaps heal on their own and disappear after some time. However, a third-degree burn from a car accident resulting in a fire will have lifetime effects.
In case you get hurt during a vehicular accident, it’s vital for you to know how to deal with your condition. A severe burn will be excruciating since the damage extends to your epidermis and dermis. When this happens, you need to know some helpful hints on properly identifying and treating the burn.
People who recover from serious burns may be left with disfiguring scars, especially if a considerable part of the body is affected. Although there are skin grafts and plastic surgeries available to help restore the skin to its original state, a third-degree burn victim may experience pain or trauma for the rest of their life.
2. Head Injuries
A car collision can cause a person to suffer from a powerful blow to the head, leading to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). If you get caught in a car accident, you’re lucky if you walk away from it with just a minor concussion. However, some people end up with much more severe injuries.
Head injuries from a car crash can vary, and some can be completely devastating and cause a lifetime of disability. Trauma to the head can lead to stroke, comatose, speech impairment, and loss of movement in a specific body part due to brain damage. These injuries will affect a person’s quality of life since they may have to live with their condition permanently.
The resulting disability from a head injury will depend on the area of the brain affected. And even if the patient recovers from their condition, there’s a chance that they’ll suffer from a permanent injury caused by the car accident.
3. Damage To The Spinal Cord
The abrupt impact of a car crash can also cause permanent damage to a person’s spinal cord. This injury is one of the worst cases that can happen during an accident since there’s a risk of paralysis if the spinal cord is affected in any way.
If you only sustain bruises on your spinal column, you’ll be able to recover eventually. However, if there is extensive disk damage in your spine, there are only a few options for doctors to help you heal.
It’s difficult to fully recover from partial or complete paralysis since the root of your condition, which is nerve damage, can’t be repaired. Still, thanks to medical science, rehabilitation can help you get around even if a part of your body has been paralyzed. Although you won’t get all your mobility back, extensive physical therapy will allow you to slowly regain control of your movements. Canes, wheelchairs, and crutches are also available to help you move with minimum assistance from other people.
4. Fractures Or Crushed Limbs
Some of the most common injuries caused by an auto car accident are fractures or broken limbs. When you get in a vehicular collision, your body is flung in different directions inside the car, and any unsecured objects will also go flying. If you land in the wrong position or if there’s too much pressure on your limbs, you may end up with broken bones.
In most cases, fractures and crushed limbs are caused by accident involving a sudden impact on and solid contact with the vehicle. If you suffer from a limb injury, doctors can perform surgery to correct the affected area. However, if your bones are too damaged, you may have to face a permanent disability. There are also severe cases where there’s no choice but to amputate the affected limb.
5. Damage On The Internal Organs
Any excessive pressure on your body can cause external and injuries alike. It’s not uncommon for a person who’s gone through a car crash to suffer from internal bleeding or organ damage caused by blunt force trauma.
Your spleen, liver, or pancreas can be affected if you’re ever involved in a traffic collision. The most common solution to internal organ damage is surgery. However, the costs of hospitalization can be high, and if the organ is disfigured beyond repair, you may even require a transplant. It’s vital for you to drive within the speed limit and obey traffic laws at all times to prevent this from happening.
Final Thoughts
There’s a big possibility that you’ll suffer from some form of injury if you’re ever involved in a car accident. While some injuries like minor lacerations and bruises heal over time, severe issues such as head injuries and third-degree burns can leave you permanently disabled.