Every year, Florida records approximately 400,000 car accidents. In 2019 alone, there were more than 250,000 injuries resulting from crashes in this state. If you drive in Florida, there's a chance you'll add to these worrisome statistics surrounding car accidents in the Sunshine State, so it makes sense to find out the most common injuries that car accidents in Florida tend to cause.
Take a look at the car accident injuries you're most likely to end up with after a collision described below. And if you've suffered these or other injuries, contact a Florida car accident attorney to learn about your options.
What are Common Injuries from Accidents in Florida?
Accidents – whether related to auto accidents motorcycle accidents or even pedestrian accidents – occur daily with injuries ranging from mild to fatal. Here are some of the most common types of injuries that people suffer in Florida on a regular basis.
Whiplash
Among the most common injuries from car accidents in Florida is whiplash. This occurs because when your car jerks to a sudden stop, your neck essentially whips back and forth quickly. This unexpected movement can tear or strain the joints, muscles, or tendons in the neck. Symptoms of this injury often include the following:
- Neck pain
- Stiffness
- Reduced range of motion in the neck
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Pain in the shoulders and lower back
Head Injuries
It's common for car accident victims to end up with head injuries as well. More specifically, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are fairly common after a serious accident. Just one example is a concussion, which occurs when the brain experiences trauma from a sudden stop, unexpected momentum, or impact with part of the car.
Another type of TBI is a contusion, which is basically a bruise on your brain that causes bleeding and swelling around it. You might also end up with a skull fracture after a car accident in Florida, in which part of your skull bone is broken. Additionally, penetrating injuries—in which an object penetrates the skull and hits the brain—are possible during car accidents.
The following are some common symptoms of head injuries to watch out for after a collision in Florida:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Dilated pupils
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sensitivity to lights or sounds
- Slower reaction times
- Exhaustion
- Numb feeling in limbs
- Reduced ability to balance
- Difficulty dealing with emotions
- Seizures
Back Injuries
Many Florida car accident victims also suffer from back injuries due to the impact of the collision. One of the most common types of back injuries is a herniated disk. This happens when part of a rubbery cushion (disk) located between your spinal bones (vertebrae) slips a little. This causes it to bulge out from its normal location, which sometimes irritates nearby nerves. The result is pain, numbness, or weakness in the back, shoulders, arms, or legs—depending on where in the spine the disk is located.
Another common back injury after an accident is a spinal fracture. This occurs when your upper body is thrown forward while your lower body remains in place when you're wearing a seatbelt. This can cause a flexion-distraction fracture, in which you break the back or middle part of your vertebrae. Car accidents can also cause burst fractures, where the vertebra gets crushed in multiple spots, causing bone fragments to spread out and cause spine injuries.
Broken Bones
Car accidents are known for causing broken bones in general, due to the blunt force your body experiences. Technically, a collision could break any bone in your body but the most common bones that get broken include:
- Legs
- Arms
- Hands
- Feet
- Fingers
- Nose
- Jaw
- Collarbone
In some cases, it's obvious when you've broken a bone, as you can see that the bone is now deformed. But sometimes it's not as clear that you've incurred this serious injury. In that case, you should consider some signs you might have a broken bone, such as swelling, bruising, redness, loss of function, and of course extreme pain.
Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruises
Very rarely can you escape a car accident without a few cuts or bruises. You might get a small cut or bruise on your head from the airbag deploying, for example. If it didn't deploy, your head might have hit the steering wheel, which could cause an even bigger bruise or cut. Similarly, if your head or any limbs hit any of the windows in your car, these injuries are common.
Additionally, if you have any loose objects in your car at the time of the crash, these could become projectiles that give you cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Common examples include cell phones, books, coffee mugs, purses, and sunglasses.
Help from Florida Car Accident Attorney Riley Cho
If you've suffered these common Florida car accident injuries—or if you've experienced any other injuries after a collision—you should talk to a legal professional today. You deserve a chance to get compensation that covers your hospital bills, physical therapy, lost wages, and other expenses caused by the collision.
At Riley Legal, P.A., we're known for being compassionate, honest, and committed to helping all our clients after they've experienced devastating car accidents in Florida. Contact us today to set up a free initial consultation!