Don’t feel defeated after an accident! You may be eligible to receive compensation to pay for your medical expenses, future medical expenses, wage loss, property damage and pain and suffering. Tryk Law, PC has major success helping people in Fresno receive recovery in car, motorcycle, big rig, construction, pedestrian accidents and many more! Here are some common injuries that can be sustained from these accidents:
Your spine is made up of 5 sections: the cervical spine (your neck), the thoracic spine (middle of your back), the lumbar spine (lower back), and the sacrum and coccyx (your “tail-bone”). In total these sections add up 33 vertebrae, 24 that are separate bones that allow movement (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, and 5 lumbar) and 9 that are fused together (your sacrum and coccyx).
A neck injury due to the rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. Most common injury occuring in motorcycle accidents and car accidents. The most common symptoms of whiplash include: neck pain and stiffness, worsening of pain with movement of the neck, headaches originating from the base of the skull, and loss of range of motion in the neck.
A fractured vertebrae in the spine can occur in a number of ways. The most common cause of a fracture is when the force caused by a trauma impacts the bone, either by bending, twisting or blunt force which exceeds the bone’s strength. This may occur if your seatbelt fails to hold your body in place adequately. This causes your lower body to remain still and your upper body to be jerked or jostled around. Fractures range in severity. Some will require rest and immobilization while others require surgery.
Your vertebrae are cushioned by discs — in an accident, like a car accident, the impact can be so great that these discs shift. This shift can cause compression of the nerves, pain and numbness. Herniated discs are also known as bulging, ruptured, or slipped discs. Herniated discs cause chronic pain that can be managed through physical therapy and/or medication. In some cases, minor non-invasive procedures like radio-frequency ablation and nerve blocks are used to provide long term pain relief. In rare cases, surgery is required to repair the disc.
The words “broken” and “fractured” are used interchangeably by orthopedists when referring to bone injuries. There are several different types of fractured or broken bones (pictured to the right or below) ranging in severity:
Closed
Open (compound)
Displaced
Transverse
Oblique
Impacted
Comminuted
Greenstick
Spiral
The severity determines whether surgery and/or rehabilitation is required.
A common injury after a car accident is a shoulder injury. There are a few different types of shoulder injury that range in severity:
Rotator cuff tear — Most common shoulder injury. It is a tear, stretch or rip of the tendons and/or ligaments in the shoulder joint. Your shoulder is made up of 3 separate joints, any of which can be separated. This can cause immense pain.
Fractured and dislocated bone — Usually involving the clavicle (collar bone), proximal humerus (top of your upper arm bone) and/or scapula (shoulder blade).
Bruising, sprains or strains — Injury to the rotator cuff muscles or surrounding muscles in your shoulder.
Shoulder injuries sometimes require surgery, setting of the bone(s), and/or rehabilitation.
Another common injury is knee injuries. The most common ones are:
Torn ACL —Tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, the tissue that connects your shinbone to your thighbone. Usually caused from a twisting or pivot of the knee.
Torn meniscus — Tear of the rubbery knee cartilage that cushions your shinbone from your thighbone.
Torn patella — Tear of the tendon that keeps your kneecap in place. When torn you cannot straighten your leg properly.
These injuries usually require surgery and rehabilitation.
Brain and head injuries can range in severity. From minor injuries like bruising and concussion to very severe injuries that can lead to coma or being in a vegetative state.
A mild traumatic brain injury that you can recover from over time with rest and lessened activity. Symptoms can include: Headache, confusion, lack of coordination, memory loss, dizziness, nausea, ringing in ears, and fatigue. Common in motorcycle, big rig and car accidents where you take a blow to the head.
A state of unconsciousness that can last for a prolonged period or indefinitely. Severe brain trauma can cause a person to go into a coma. If you have a brain bleed or your brain swells excessively and you require brain surgery the surgeon may put you into a medically induced coma. Comas are always serious, even if in a medically induced coma there’s never 100% certainty you or a love one can make it out of it.
Burns can be caused by heat (thermal), electricity, chemical or radiation. They are classified by different degrees (1 through 4), which go by how deep the burn penetrates the skin’s surface. Severe burns carry a risk of sepsis, infections, shock, blood loss, and tetanus.
Chemical and electrical burns require immediate medical attention even if the skin looks mostly in tact due to the damage that can be internally.
Superficial burns that only affect the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin. The burn site is painful, red, and dry, with no blisters. A common example of a first degree burn is a mild sunburn. Long-term damage to the tissue is rare, but a first degree burn will usually result in an increase or decrease in skin color at the burn site.
First degree burns can be treated at home and usually don’t need a doctor’s care unless it affects a large area of the skin.
Burns that penetrate the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site may be blistered, red, swollen and painful. They are more serious due to the blisters that are caused by second degree burns, which if not kept clean can lead to an infection. In some extreme cases, skin grafting may be required.
Most second degree burns take around 3 weeks to heal and may or may not require the attention of a medical professional.
Burns that go through all the layers of skin. Aside from fourth degree burns, these are the most severe. There may be no pain present at the incident of the burn because of nerve damage.
Third degree burns usually require skin grafts and surgery to avoid severe scarring and contracture. Usually physical and occupational therapy is required in order to recover mobility and to regain flexibility in the skin. These burns take a long time to heal and cause severe scarring and can affect your way of life.
Burns that go deep enough to penetrate the bones and tendons are sometimes called fourth degree burns, some health providers classify these burns under the umbrella of third degree burns and others like to segregate these severe burns into their own category.
