Tens of thousands of people are injured, and hundreds are killed in car accidents in Kentucky every year.
When a car traveling at highway speed stops in a collision, its momentum and energy are transferred to the car’s structure and its occupants. The faster a vehicle is moving, the greater the force of impact in a crash and the likelihood of serious injuries. But even a seemingly minor car accident carries the potential for significant injuries.
It’s essential to seek medical attention after any car accident. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident that someone else has caused, you should speak to our lawyers as soon as possible. A Kentucky car accident attorney from Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can help you seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses after a crash that was not your fault.
Contact our law firm now for a free consultation with a Kentucky car accident lawyer.
The Immediate Effects of a Car Crash on Your Body
The immediate trauma of being in a car accident triggers the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is best known for its role in the fight or flight response to dangerous or stressful situations. When a person is subjected to an on-rush of stress, the sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate, which delivers more blood to areas of the body that need more oxygen.
The body’s increased oxygen supply, as well as the release of adrenaline and cortisol in reaction to trauma, may briefly cause a heightened sense of alertness followed by dizziness, confusion, and shock as hormone levels return to normal.
In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, it is important to stay calm. You need to report the accident to the police and take other steps to protect yourself legally after a car accident.
It is also important to seek medical care as soon as possible after a car accident, even if injuries are not immediately apparent. Some serious injuries do not always cause significant pain or other symptoms immediately. A complete medical exam can uncover injuries that could be life-threatening if left undiagnosed and untreated.
Frequent Car Accident Injuries in Kentucky
An injury suffered in a car accident is likely to result in steep medical bills and loss of work and income. A serious injury could result in permanent disabilities that change your life. Here are some of the most common types of severe injuries suffered by drivers and passengers in car accidents:
- Soft tissue injuries – A soft tissue injury involves damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other tissues that surround and support organs and other structures in the body. Sprains, strains, and tears in the soft tissue of the lower back, neck (whiplash), and large joints like knees and shoulders can cause chronic pain, stiffness, and limited mobility.
- Head injuries – A blow to the head, a sudden jolt, or a deep laceration can cause a serious injury that tears into or violently shakes the brain and damages it. Headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and confusion are symptoms of traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which can be life-altering. Even slight and short-lived pain from a jolt to the head can be a sign of a potentially deadly injury. It is vitally important to seek medical attention for any head injury.
- Back and spinal injuries – An impact to the spine or sudden twisting in a car accident can tear or herniate discs, fracture vertebrae, and damage the spinal cord. Chronic back pain is one of the most prevalent disabilities, and spinal cord trauma can cause irreversible paralysis. It is vital to promptly obtain a full medical evaluation if you suffer back pain after a car accident.
- Broken bones – The blunt force impact of a collision is among the most common causes of broken bones or fractures. As people age, it becomes more difficult for broken bones to heal, and some complex fractures never heal completely, regardless of age. Pain, swelling, bruising, and deformity indicate a broken bone. Proper diagnosis and treatment of a fracture are crucial for optimal healing.
- Internal injuries – The kinetic energy exerted on the human body in a car crash can cause internal organ damage and internal bleeding that requires immediate medical attention. It is critical to receive a thorough medical examination to detect potential internal injuries because damage to internal organs sometimes does not reveal immediate symptoms, yet these hidden injuries can become life-threatening if left untreated.
Potential Long-Term and Mental Effects of Car Crashes
In addition to physical injuries from a car crash, many individuals also experience a significant psychological impact. The trauma of suffering a bodily injury or witnessing a loved one’s catastrophic injury or death in a car accident can overwhelm a person’s coping mechanisms. Experiencing an overwhelming traumatic event can cause a psychological injury known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you are suffering intrusive emotional distress or other mental health issues in the aftermath of a car accident, you should obtain appropriate medical care. Mental health professionals can use multiple research-proven methods to help people cope with and recover from PTSD and other psychological conditions, including combinations of both talk therapy and medication.
Our Attorneys Can Protect You After a Car Accident
A Kentucky car accident attorney from Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can give you the legal help you need to seek all the compensation you deserve after a car accident. While you recover from your injuries and work to get your life back on track, we’ll investigate the crash and your injuries, compile an accounting of all your costs and losses, and demand full compensation for you from responsible insurers.
Car insurance companies are primarily interested in their bottom line after a car accident. They take advantage of the injured by offering lowball settlements that might initially look fair to victims who have yet to face the total cost of a serious car accident injury.
Some car accident victims require months, years, or longer to recover from their injuries. Some never fully recover. But you cannot know what a car accident has cost you until you have exhausted all reasonable medical care and know what your life ahead will look like.
Let Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer guide you through the days, weeks, and months that follow a car accident injury.
Over more than 20 years, our mission has been to help people in Kentucky just like you who have been seriously injured and need a trusted advocate to speak for them. We have the Kentucky Courage to stand up to large insurance companies and fight tooth and nail for what is right. With more than $400 million recovered for our clients, we have a track record of success and are now ready to put our experience to work for you.
Contact us at (877) 809-5352 or reach out online for a free legal consultation. We’ll aggressively pursue your accident claim and will not charge you a fee unless and until we recover compensation for you.
