No one wants to be involved in a car accident. It is never a pleasant experience, always an inconvenience, and usually a costly incident that leaves it mark for some time after the actual impact takes place. However, millions of Americans become the victims of collisions each and every year in this country, and more than 100,000 collisions take place in the State of Illinois.
Car accidents can be broken down into many different categories and many different types but one of the most important factors continues to be whether or not injuries happened in that crash. If a collision does take place, the best scenario will be that no one is hurt and that everyone can walk away from the crash without worries about their personal health and safety. Unfortunately, though, about half of all accidents cause someone to be injured and that means that thousands of Chicago residents are hurt annually in collisions.
Though nearly any type of injury can happen in a car accident, some are more likely than others. Damages to the neck and the back are particularly common as the forces involved in a crash may lead a victim to snap forward and backward, putting unnatural strain on these areas. Pulled muscles, bruises, bulging discs, and herniated discs are some of the frequent injuries to a neck or back experienced by a car accident victim.
Broken or fractured bones can occur in any scenario when vehicles collide but are most common when forces are moderate or greater, or when the speeds involved are high. Broken bones can result when a victim becomes trapped or pinned inside a vehicle or when a car strikes a fixed object, like a pole or guard rail. Broken bones may happen to any part of the body but fractures to the arms, legs, bones of the spine, bones of the skull, and ribs are among the most common.
Though seat belts are proven to save lives and to lessen the extent of injuries in a crash, seat belts can cause injuries at the points where they cross an occupant’s body. Usually, seat belts cause bruising, abrasions, or other harm to the skin but they can lead to internal bleeding or organ damage.
The location of a victim inside a vehicle can alter what injuries she may or may not incur if a collision happens. For example, a driver is likely to suffer injuries to the chest due to a steering wheel’s position; though chest injuries are possible for passengers, they are less common for passengers than they are for drivers. Similarly, front seat passengers may face a greater risk of injuries when an accident happens while their vehicle is turning left as an impact is likely to strike near where that passenger sits.
Regardless of what injuries you sustained, if you were in a car accident in Chicago and you were hurt, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation for your damages, and the legal team at Abels & Annes, P.C. can help you understand your rights. Our firm is comprised solely of personal injury lawyers who do not handle any other types of cases. We are conveniently located in downtown Chicago and we handle claims all over Illinois so that you can get the assistance you need, regardless of where your accident took place.
If you have questions, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575. We have a licensed lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call and to offer you a no-cost, no-obligation case consultation so please do not hesitate to contact us now.
Prior Blog Entry:
Who is to Blame for a Pedestrian versus Car Accident?, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published January 13, 2016.