Pedestrian accidents often cause serious injuries. These injuries can result in long-term problems, including fractured bones. Some common injuries during accidents involve fractured hands, arms, shoulders, legs, and back. Compound fractures can cause severe bone breaks that puncture skin and lead to amputation.
Here is what you should know about the common injuries suffered by pedestrians in these accidents. These injuries can cause debilitating pain and long-term complications, and may even require surgery.
Remember when these accidents happen, your first duty is to make sure you are okay and get medical help. Afterwards, you are going to want to consult with a pedestrian accident lawyer to figure out your options. This type of case may take a car accident lawyer to help you make your case.
Fractures
One study examined tibia and femur fractures sustained by pedestrians in a comparison of auto and pedestrian accidents. Fractures were more common in young people than in older people, and a person’s age was an important factor in the risk of tibia fractures. Nevertheless, these types of fractures are associated with a higher risk of internal organ injury and mortality.
The immediate treatment for a broken bone during a pedestrian accident involves immobilization and realignment. While a cast is typically the first line of defense for a fractured bone, more severe fractures may require traction, or a weighted device used to realign a broken bone. Other treatments may include metal plates or rods, depending on the severity of the fracture. Fractures are devastating, and if they are not treated quickly, can result in permanent disability.
Traumatic brain injuries
Among the most common types of personal injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because the brain is extremely delicate, even minor traumatic head injuries need to be treated with extreme care. Mild traumatic brain injuries can return victims to their normal selves within a few days, but severe TBIs can lead to permanent incapacity. If you or someone you love is involved in a pedestrian accident, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
The most common type of traumatic brain injury is hematoma, a blood clot that forms inside the brain after a collision. It can be caused by a variety of different factors, including the collision itself. Oftentimes, pedestrians who suffer traumatic brain injuries will come into contact with a vehicle or roadway during an accident, and the impact can tear the delicate blood vessels in the brain. A hematoma can remain the same size or increase in size, adding to the pressure inside the skull. While hematomas are sometimes cured naturally without surgery, most will require surgery to remove the clot and relieve the pressure in the brain.
Spinal cord injuries
A car accident that hits a pedestrian can cause catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord injury. Although pedestrian accidents are more likely to involve young children and elderly adults, anyone can suffer a spinal cord injury. Because pedestrians have no safety devices, they are vulnerable to the impact of a large, powerful motor vehicle. Many of these accidents result in serious brain injuries and even death. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent such accidents from happening.
In car accidents, the impact force causes the upper back, neck, and head to move rapidly, causing whiplash. It can also result in a herniated disc. Depending on the severity of the accident, a person may experience numbness and tingling in the extremities. These injuries are often permanent. If you or someone you know sustains a spinal cord injury, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.
Lacerations
Pedestrian injuries generally begin at the lower torso and legs. Impact-related injuries to the legs and lower torso are the most common and often lead to broken bones and lacerations. Up to 50 percent of pedestrian accidents will result in injuries to the lower extremities. Other common injuries to the legs and lower torso include neck and face fractures, shoulder displacement, and connective tissue damage.
A laceration can occur anywhere on the body, but is most likely to be external. Common lacerations include facial, leg, and arm cuts. Facial lacerations may require extensive care in order to prevent scarring and permanent disfigurement. A deep laceration, on the other hand, can go through the skin and fat to the bones. The cause of lacerations is often not immediately clear. In some cases, multiple factors are at work. However, any type of trauma or accident resulting in a laceration almost always results in some sort of cut.
Mental trauma
The traumatic memories triggered by a car accident can cause emotional and mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. These conditions may require medical care beyond simple physical treatment. Mental trauma often requires more than one doctor visit. It can also cause long-term pain. Here are some of the common symptoms of mental trauma and how to treat them. These symptoms may last a lifetime. Listed below are some treatments for mental trauma following an automobile accident.
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable victims of car crashes. In fact, an automobile can strike an unprotected pedestrian at a slow speed, and this is often enough to cause a severe injury. Even minor injuries can result in devastating effects. Injuries to the upper and lower extremities are common, but the consequences of the brain damage can be even more severe. The fractured bone in the hand may be the most devastating, but can also be disabling.
