Why Motor Vehicle Accidents Occur and the Injuries They Cause
According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, about 1.3 million people die from car accidents yearly. WHO states that road accidents are a major cause of death for children aged five and young adults up to 29 years?
Apart from the deaths resulting from road accidents, about 20 million individuals suffer from non-fatal injuries, with a large percentage being left disabled. The injuries are a major loss to families and even to the nation.
Studies reveal that road traffic crashes could cost up to 3% of a country’s gross domestic product. Imagine an individual who gets a disability from a road accident, the chances of that person returning to work are low. Some family members will even be forced to stay at home and take care of the injured person. In order to protect their legal position they will often need to hire personal injury lawyers Perth to help them make their compensation claim. It leads to a significant economic loss.
Reasons for Road Accidents
Accidents don’t just happen but are triggered by some factors, which are discussed below:
1.) Human Error and Distractions
Most traffic accidents do not occur because the driver isn’t good enough, but rather the decisions they make behind the wheel. Some drivers will be driving and are chatting or making calls on their phones. The distractions could also be from animals or pedestrians crossing the roads in the wrong places.
2.) Drunk Driving
Alcohol drinking reduces an individual’s concentration; therefore, if they drink and drive, they are likely to cause road accidents. Individuals are advised to avoid drinking, particularly if they are drunk, since they are putting at risk many lives.
3.) Over Speeding
Human beings, by nature, desire to excel, so if drivers are on a non-busy road, they are likely to over speed. Some drivers also speed up because they are in a hurry to reach their destination. Studies show that fast-moving vehicles are more prone to accidents than slow ones. Moderate driving is advised.
4.) Poor Road Conditions and Ignorance
There are roads with potholes, or some are eroded. Such roads could lead to serious accidents, especially for the new road drivers. Some individuals ignore red lights probably because they are in a hurry. Red light means stop and should never be ignored.
5.) Weather Conditions
Most road accidents occur, especially in storms or when there are mists. Some drivers take risks and drive even when there is low visibility, or the road is slick. Individuals need to pull over when it’s impossible to drive. Failing to do so dramatically increases the changes of a road accident occurring resulting in injury to thir parties. These injured persons will need to consider retaining compensation lawyers Perth if they have an injury claim they need assistance with.
The Injuries Caused by Road Accidents
In a head-to-head car collision, the involved parties will likely suffer fatal injuries. Below are some common injuries individuals suffer from car accidents:
Soft Tissue Injury
The most common injury damages the body’s connective tissue, such as tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Soft injuries could be in many forms, such as muscle sprains and lacerations, the main being whiplash.
- Whiplash injury is caused when muscles and ligaments stretch due to abrupt movements of both the head and neck movements in a collision. Mostly it’s triggered when the car is hit from behind, pushing the body forward but is restrained by the seatbelt. The neck keeps on moving.
Signs of whiplash include headaches, neck pain, dizziness, and blurred vision. Some individuals will also experience ringing in the ears, and some will have a broken spine.
Scrapes and Cuts
They mostly occur due to tearing the skin’s layers, causing wounds. The objects cause the abrasions in the car that hit individuals. It could be phones, broken glasses, airbags, or even car parts. Individuals should properly disinfect the wounds to ensure they heal faster.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
CDC reveals that up to 155 Americans die each day from brain injuries. In minor crashes, victims could have bruises or lacerations when they bang their head against the windshield or steering wheel.
In severe accidents, individuals could lose consciousness on the impact, have impaired memory, and even have vision issues. Additionally, some may have a traumatic brain injury, concussions, memory loss, and permanent brain damage.
Chest Injuries
They require victims to undergo surgeries; a serious accident could harm internal organs or cause internal bleeding. The driver is at a high risk of chest injuries because of the tiny space between them and the steering wheel.
Individuals with chest injury will have shortness of breath, frequent coughs, quick or shallow breathing, and even swelling.
Injured persons should consider seeking assistance from a personal injury lawyer such as injury lawyers Perth to assist them with their compensation claim so that they are not out of pocket as a result of their medical treatment expenses,
Arm and Leg Injuries
Individuals could suffer from arm and leg injuries in a sudden car collision. These body parts could be swollen, cause an individual pain, hinder normal motion, or even be deformed.
Back Injuries
Spinal cord injury is common in most car clashes because the human spine cannot sustain heavy impact. In a severe accident, individuals could suffer from spine injury for the rest of their lives.
Internal Injuries
An individual’s internal organs are very delicate and could be harmed by the forces of a crashing car. The internal injuries may cause bleeding, pains in the chest and the body, bruising in the navel, and dizziness. Internal injury is a medical emergency, and users must seek instant medical attention.
Treatment For Car Accident Injuries
Below are some of the common ways individuals can recover from road accidents:
· Physical Therapy is a common treatment for major car accidents. Individuals can perform simple exercises or work with therapists to ensure they regain muscle strength and flexibility.
· Chiropractic Care assists the body in regaining maximum spinal alignment lost in traumatic car accidents. Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to realign vertebrae and decrease pressure on the nerves.
· Whiplash Treatments will vary depending on an individual’s injury or symptoms. The treatments could be active release technique, facet joint injection, spinal decompression, or cervical steroid injection.
· Back Pain Treatments are essential, especially for lower back and upper back pain. Some injections target nerve pain and inflammation from car accidents. The injections include trigger point injections, medial branch blocks, and epidural steroid injections.
In Conclusion
To conclude, all road users must take safety precautions, whether they are drivers or pedestrians. It will ensure a smaller number of car accidents occur. Drivers should have a high concentration, avoid being drunk and avoid all forms of destruction. It is also important that victims of an accident visit a doctor for examination.