Common Accidents and Injuries

Most Common Accident Injuries

An accident that causes a significant injury can alter the course of a victim’s life. It almost always inflicts physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial difficulty.

Personal injuries that result from someone else’s negligence or recklessness allow victims to take legal action for compensation. In this blog post, we review some of the most common accidents and incidents that lead to injuries for which victims may seek money damages from the parties at fault. If you have suffered an injury because of someone else’s poor decisions or dangerous actions, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today for a free case evaluation.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of traumatic injuries, some of which show symptoms immediately while others emerge over time. Common motor vehicle accident injuries include:

  • Head injuries/traumatic brain injuries: Frequently, motor vehicle collisions deal a blow to a driver’s or passenger’s head, causing direct and indirect damage to brain tissue. These traumatic brain injuries (TBI) disrupt the normal function of the brain and can include many symptoms ranging from headaches, “brain fog,” memory lapses, cognitive impairments, motor difficulties, emotional disturbances, unconsciousness, and even death.
  • Spinal injuries: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the U.S. The force of an impact can result in damage to parts of the spinal cord or damage to the nerves at the end of the spinal canal. Spinal injuries will often result in permanent changes in an individual’s sensation, strength, and other bodily functions, as well as paralysis and even death.
  • Broken bones and orthopedic trauma: Broken bones and damage to ligaments and tendons can be extremely painful and are a common type of vehicle accident injury. When severe enough, these injuries can cause significant trauma and disability. Surgery may be required to fix complex fractures, and victims may struggle to recover full function.

Construction Accidents

Construction sites are known for catastrophic accidents. In fact, one out of every five workplace fatalities is construction-related. These accidents arise from faulty equipment, inadequate safety protocols, falls, electrocution, or being struck by a falling object or projectile. Typically, these injuries affect workers who are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but some cases involve unique facts that allow injured parties to avoid the limitations of the workers’ comp system and allow them to file a civil case to recover full compensation for their injuries.

Common injuries in construction accidents include:

  • Back or neck injuries: Those with neck or back injuries may have localized pain or stiffness, followed by muscle spasms. When the damage is severe, the pain can include tingling, numbness, and even paralysis. Back and neck injuries can be extremely dangerous because often their symptoms can also signify a spinal injury or a TBI.
  • Bodily amputations: Construction accidents can often lead to physical disfigurements and amputations, such as when large equipment or objects fall on a worker, crushing or severing the worker’s limbs. Many complications can result from these amputations, which include shock, bleeding, and infection, as well as a reduced quality of life. Also, many of these victims have to endure multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation to help regain their lives.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and often result from slippery floors, uneven stairs, faulty handrails, or torn carpeting. Regardless of how these falls happen, the resulting injuries can be severe and require extensive medical attention.

These types of accidents can end in head and brain trauma, broken bones, spinal injuries, and the following other common injuries:

  • Lacerations: Victims of lacerations often have deep cuts that break the skin and may extend into the subcutaneous tissues, the underlying muscles, organs, or even bones. These lacerations also can include severe pain and bleeding that require immediate medical attention. (Laceration injuries are also prevalent in dog-bite accidents.)
  • Muscle strains and knee injuries: Slip and fall accidents frequently result in the victim tearing a knee ligament or cartilage. The most common tear is a meniscus tear or an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in the knee, which results in significant pain, swelling, limited motion, and may require surgery to fix.

Defective Product Accidents

Defective consumer products can cause a wide range of injuries to unsuspecting users. Depending on the product involved, the injuries can include fractures, lacerations, head and brain injuries, as well as spinal cord injuries.

In addition, defective product accidents have also caused the following:

  • Burns: Burn injuries are usually caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, cold, or radiation. Depending on the severity of the burn, the injuries can include swelling, scarring, blistering, and, in some cases, shock and death. Burns also often result in infections due to the damage of the skin’s protective barrier.
  • Internal injuries and organ failure: Some defective products can cause permanent internal injuries and organ failure, especially defective pharmaceuticals ingested over long periods of time. These injuries can result in kidney failure, lung and liver problems, heart failure, and even brain damage.
  • Choking: Defective product accidents can also involve choking injuries, most often involving children swallowing small parts. Choking occurs when a foreign object gets lodged in the throat or the windpipe and blocks the flow of air. Choking incidents can cause brain damage, coma, and even death.

The injuries listed above represent some of the more common types of damages that result from personal injury accidents. They do not cover the full spectrum of injuries or accidents that can happen to you when someone else acts carelessly or recklessly.

No matter what sort of accident has impacted your life or what kind of injury it has left you to contend with, you may have rights to significant compensation. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer today to learn more.

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