Head-on collisions shouldn’t happen that often, given there are two sides of the road. However, around 14% of all traffic deaths are caused by head-on collisions. When the front of one car hits the front of another, usually at high speed, the resulting crash is usually devastating. The road to recovery from head-on collision injuries can take a long time, often leading to loss of earnings among other losses that can be recovered through compensation. With this in mind, we take a look at the most common head-on collision injuries.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that’s often associated with rear-end collisions. However, in just the same way, a driver’s head will travel forward with speed and then jerk backward during a head-on collision. This can lead to chronic pain, nerve issues, and soft tissue damage. Although you need to seek medical assistance straight away, the signs of whiplash might be hiding away until a few days have passed.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Suffering a head injury doesn’t always lead to loss of mental capacity. However, if your head-on collision leads to a traumatic brain injury (TBI), then you may never regain full cognitive abilities. Unfortunately, these types of injuries can last a lifetime and are likely to leave you out of work or searching for alternative types of work.
As with whiplash, the signs and symptoms aren’t always obvious immediately after the crash. Therefore, if you have any of these symptoms, you should head back to your doctor:
- Motor issues
- Memory loss
- Changes in behavior
- Headaches
- Blackouts
- Coma
- Problems with speech
Spinal Cord and Back Injuries
The nerves, muscles, and discs in the back and spinal cord can also be injured by a head-on collision. This type of trauma can have a life-changing impact, especially if paralysis sets in. In the best case, these injuries can be helped with physical therapy. However, in some cases, there’s very little that can be done, and the life changes will be permanent.
Blunt-Force Trauma
When the body is thrown into an object with some force, this is called blunt-force trauma. In head-on collisions, drivers are often thrown into steering wheels, windows, or the dashboard. The result of the injury can be anything from heavy bruising to broken bones and internal bleeding.
Wearing a seatbelt at all times will help lessen the impact of blunt-force trauma and other injuries, but there are zero guarantees of this.
Broken Bones
The adult skeleton has 206 bones, and many of them are fragile. Therefore, when you’re involved in a car accident, you can break any number of bones. Many breaks can be fixed with medical care, physical therapy, and rest. However, some broken bones may lead to permanent damage, which can reduce the ability to enjoy life and work.
This list of injuries caused by head-on collisions is by no means complete, but they’re some of the most common. If you or a loved one has been involved in a head-on collision, you may be able to claim compensation. For a free consultation, visit our attorneys at Caddell Reynolds Law Firm. You can find us at:
- Fort Smith – 122 North 11th St., Fort Smith, AW 72901
- Fayetteville – 509 E Millsap Rd., Suite 102, Fayetteville, AR 72703
- Rogers – 211 North Second St. Rogers, AR 72756
- Jonesboro – 3000 Browns Lane, Jonesboro, AR 72401
- Little Rock – 10809 Executive Center Drive, Suite 111, Little Rock, AR 72211
Call now for a free consultation on (800) 671-4100.