Every time you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, you know that you’re taking a chance. Accidents can and do happen. Fortunately, most people walk away from their wrecks with just minor injuries.

Not everyone is so fortunate, however. Others suffer catastrophic injuries that leave them requiring a lifetime of care.  Some catastrophic injuries are distinctly more common than others in a wreck. These include:

Blunt force trauma to the chest

Motorists may suffer blunt force trauma to the chest when their body crashes into the steering wheel, or their airbag deploys. This blunt force trauma may fracture a motorist’s ribs or pelvis, cause internal organ damage and bleeding, cardiac arrest or a collapsed lung.

Spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries vary from the incomplete severing of the nerves to complete, both of which come with serious physical limitations or paralysis. They may leave someone with an inability to use certain limbs or paralysis throughout a portion of their body. Speed is often responsible for an accident resulting in this type of injury. 

Torn ligaments

The violent thrusting of a motorist’s head or neck back and forth is consistent with a whiplash. These most often result from a rear-end crash. The back and forth motion of a motorist’s head and neck in such an accident may give way to ligament and muscle damage, which can even lead to vocal cord paralysis.

Traumatic brain injuries

High-speed crashes can result in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). They often occur when a motorist’s head collides with a window, the steering wheel or the dashboards. Individuals lucky enough to survive such crashes experience cognitive and behavioral impairments that often affect them forever.

California law may allow you to recover compensation

If you or a loved one have suffered one of the above-referenced injuries, then you likely have a lifetime of bills ahead of you. Seeking fair compensation for your losses is essential when it comes to meeting your future needs.