The shock of a car accident can leave a New York driver emotionally rattled and physically sore. As they begin to process what happened to them, they may discover that they have worse injuries than they initially believed. There are many different types of injuries that individuals can suffer when they are involved in motor vehicle accidents, but neck and back injuries can be particularly common and painful.
For example, one of the most common injuries that victims of rear-end collisions suffer is whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when a car is hit from behind and a person in the hit car suffers neck strain from having their head thrown forward. Whiplash can be serious and can require medical treatment; it has a number of associated symptoms that can be debilitating.
Back injuries can occur when victims’ bodies are crushed, twisted, and subjected to other violent forces when their vehicles are hit by other cars. The most severe form of back injury that a person may suffer is a spinal cord injury. When a person’s spinal cord is damaged they may develop paralysis below the site of their injury. That can mean that the victim will lose the use of their appendages for the rest of their life.
Car accidents can leave victims with devastating personal injuries. While some injuries may improve with time, others may result in long-term and permanent damage to victims. The costs of living with these injuries can be significant and not all victims can cover the costs of their own care. Litigation may give those victims an option to pursue their damages and get back on their feet.