Common Injuries in Rear-end Accidents

Rear-end accidents are among the most common types of accidents that regularly occur on Clearwater roadways. They can occur at stop signs, stop lights, or even in heavy traffic while vehicles are moving in close proximity to one another. While they are often nothing more than minor fender benders, rear-end accidents are also capable of being extremely serious accidents that leave those involved with serious injuries. Some of the more common injuries sustained in rear-end accidents include the following:

• Whiplash1
• Back injuries
• Facial and/or head injuries
• Hand, wrist and arm injuries

More information about these injuries follows in the material below.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common neck injury that is caused by a sudden, forceful jolt that forces the body to lurch forward with the head moving after the rest of the body, such that the force of the body moving faster than the body creates much like a whipping action.  Whiplash occurs most often during car accidents but also during other things such as during a roller coaster ride or sporting events.

Back Injuries

Back injuries often occur during rear-end automobile accidents.  Injuries such as herniated disks,2 muscle ischemia and as well as back muscle sprains and strains.  Herniated disks can be very serious and debilitating injuries that may require steroid injections or even surgical treatment. In addition, any damage to the spinal cord could result in extremely serious medical issues, including paralysis below the site of the injury.

Facial injuries

This is much more common in lower speed impacts since airbags are engineered to deploy only when they the car drives is moving faster than twenty miles per hour.  So if the car is moving at eighteen miles per hour and struck in the rear, it is possible, even likely, for the driver’s face to strike the steering wheel.  Broken cheekbones, noses, damage to the eyes or teeth may result.  Everything from dental work to major reconstructive surgery may result.

Hand, Wrist and Arm Injuries

Often, when an airbag goes off, the first thing that it impacts is the hand, wrist, and arm of the driver, often resulting in serious injury. The impact of an accident may also cause vehicle occupants’ hands and arms to become wedged between seats or in the steering wheel or strike the dashboard. In many cases, these rear-end accident victims sustain significant hand, wrist, and arm injuries that are extremely painful and limit their day-to-day activities for weeks or months.

Contact a Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer Today to Learn More

1 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/whiplash

2 Herniated disk