Crashes happen on busy streets and quiet roads alike, and the injuries that follow can change a day or a life. You might walk away with soreness and headaches, or face surgery and months of rehab. At Morain & Buckelew, LLC, we bring more than 65 years of helping injured people and families, and we work with care on every case.

Our goal here is to explain common car accident injuries in plain language, help you spot warning signs, and give you a sense of your options. This article is educational only, not medical or legal advice. If you have symptoms, get medical care right away, then reach out with questions about your claim.

Statistics and Facts About Car Accident Injuries

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that about 2.38 million people were injured in U.S. traffic crashes in 2022. Injury levels range from minor strains to lifelong disability, and symptoms can show up late. The NHTSA also estimates crash-related economic costs at roughly 340 billion dollars in 2019, which includes medical bills, lost work, and other losses.

Numbers are only part of the story, but they show the scale of harm on our roads. Even a “small” wreck can lead to real pain and time away from work. Care and documentation early often make a difference in both recovery and any claim.

Categories of Common Car Accident Injuries

Doctors often group crash injuries by the body systems involved. Below are the major categories we see after car, truck, and motorcycle collisions. Use this as a quick map while you read.

Orthopedic Injuries

Orthopedic injuries affect muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints. These injuries range from sprains and strains to torn ligaments and joint damage. They can occur in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, and ankles.

Common orthopedic injuries after a crash include:

• Upper extremity injuries, such as broken wrists or arms, and shoulder impingement.
• Lower extremity injuries, such as broken hips, legs, or ankles, and torn ACL or MCL.
• Soft tissue injuries involving ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Watch for swelling, bruising, tenderness, bleeding, numbness, popping sounds, or limited motion. Treatment can be non-surgical or surgical. Braces, splints, and casts are often used to stabilize injured areas, while serious tears or fractures might need operative repair.

Next up, fractures deserve their own spotlight due to the level of force involved in many crashes.

Skeletal Injuries (Broken Bones)

Collisions can cause fractures in the arms, legs, ribs, hips, pelvis, back, and face. Airbags and seatbelts save lives, yet the forces involved can still crack fragile bones like the clavicle. High-speed or high-energy impacts raise the risk of complex breaks.

Frequent fracture types after car accidents include:

• Femur fractures, often seen after high-impact crashes.
• Tibia or fibula fractures when the leg area crumples.
• Rib fractures from seatbelts or airbags.
• Hip fractures, common in side or front impacts.
• Arm and wrist fractures from bracing during impact.
• Back fractures in rear-end or head-on events.
• Skull or facial fractures from contact with the windshield or interior.
• Pelvis fractures in severe crashes.
• Clavicle fractures, given the bone’s position and shape.

Symptoms often include swelling, severe pain, bruising, loss of function, and visible deformity. X-rays and CT scans help confirm the break and guide care. Stabilization, casting, and sometimes surgery with plates, rods, or screws are used to realign and heal the bone.

Many people also experience soft tissue damage that does not show on an X-ray, yet still hurts just as much.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries involve muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They can be acute, meaning they happen at the time of the crash, or chronic, which last and flare up later. Pain, stiffness, swelling, soreness, and bruising are common signs.

Whiplash is the most well-known soft tissue injury in rear-end collisions. It is a cervical sprain or strain that often brings neck pain, headaches, reduced range of motion, and sometimes dizziness. These injuries might not be visible in standard imaging, so a trained clinician should evaluate persistent symptoms.

Care spans medication, physical therapy, and for severe cases, injections or surgery. Getting checked early helps prevent lingering issues that can disrupt work and sleep.

Nerves can also be injured in a collision, leading to very different symptoms than muscle or bone problems.

Nerve Damage (Neurological Injuries)

Nerve injuries affect how the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves send signals. Damage can show up as weakness, numbness, tingling, burning pain, balance problems, or speech trouble. These symptoms can involve the face, hands, arms, trunk, or legs.

Types of nerve damage after a crash include:

• Spinal nerve damage that interferes with movement and reflexes.
• Sensory nerve damage that affects touch and temperature sensation.
• Digital nerve damage in the fingers or hands from lacerations or crush injuries.

Warning signs include difficulty speaking, pins-and-needles sensations, unusual pain, paralysis, or dizziness. Doctors might order nerve conduction studies, MRI, or other tests to gauge the extent of injury. Treatment ranges from medications and therapy to surgery in severe cases.

Under the surface, organs can also be hurt without any obvious cuts or bruises on the skin.

Internal Injuries

Internal injuries involve organs in the abdominal, cranial, and thoracic cavities. Blunt force, penetrating objects, or broken ribs can harm blood vessels and organs. These injuries are serious and need immediate evaluation.

Common internal injuries from car accidents include:

• Abdominal aorta injury from significant compression.
• Broken ribs that harm blood vessels and lungs.
• Internal bleeding from torn vessels.
• Organ damage in high-impact crashes.
• Pneumothorax, where a rib punctures the lung.
• Ruptured spleen, which often leads to severe internal bleeding.

Symptoms can include tenderness, deep pain, bruising under the skin, limited movement, hematoma, and blood in urine. Body scans and hospital monitoring are standard. Time matters with internal injuries, so err on the side of getting checked fast.

Head injuries are another area where speed of care really matters, even for symptoms that seem mild at first.

Head Trauma

Head trauma covers damage to the brain, skull, or scalp. A person can suffer an open injury with penetration, or a closed injury without a skull break. Concussions happen when the brain moves inside the skull, and it hits daily life hard if not managed.

Types of head injuries include open or closed injuries, concussion, primary lesions from the initial blow, secondary lesions that develop over time, and mild or severe forms. Mild symptoms include confusion, mild headache, nausea, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and brief memory issues. Severe symptoms include odd eye movements, bleeding, trouble focusing, loss of consciousness, vomiting, poor muscle control, or seizures.

Every head injury deserves prompt medical care. Imaging and neurological exams guide treatment, which might involve medications or surgery to control swelling or bleeding.

Loss of Limb

High-energy wrecks, including motorcycle and truck crashes, can cause traumatic amputations or crush injuries that require amputation later. Limb loss affects mobility, work, and daily tasks. Recovery plans often include prosthetics, pain management, and mental health support.

Rehab is a marathon, not a sprint. Family and community support often help a great deal.

Disfigurement and Facial Injuries

Common facial injuries include burns, cuts, lacerations, and dental damage. Glass, dashboards, and airbags can all cause harm in a split second. Treatment can include facial reconstruction, skin grafts, and plastic surgery.

Scars carry both physical and emotional weight. Document every appointment and keep photographs for your records and claim.

Chest and Pulmonary Injuries

Chest trauma ranges from broken ribs to a collapsed lung. Breathing pain, shortness of breath, and chest wall tenderness are red flags. Rapid evaluation is important to prevent complications like pneumonia or respiratory failure.

Some injuries heal with rest and pain control. Others need procedures to re-expand a lung or stabilize fractures.

Psychological Injuries

After a crash, anxiety, depression, and PTSD can surface in very real ways. Flashbacks, sleep problems, and avoidance of driving are common. Therapy and, at times, medication help many people get back to normal routines.

Getting mental health care is part of getting fully better. It also documents how the collision affected your life.

Category	Examples	Typical Symptoms	Common Diagnostics	Typical Treatment
Orthopedic	Shoulder impingement, torn ACL, ankle sprain	Swelling, tenderness, limited motion	Physical exam, X-ray, MRI	Bracing, physical therapy, surgery for severe tears
Fractures	Femur, rib, wrist, pelvis, clavicle	Severe pain, deformity, bruising	X-ray, CT scan	Casting, fixation with plates or rods, rehab
Soft Tissue	Whiplash, muscle strain, ligament sprain	Neck pain, stiffness, soreness	Clinical assessment, MRI when needed	Medications, therapy, injections in select cases
Nerve	Spinal nerve injury, digital nerve laceration	Tingling, numbness, weakness	Nerve conduction studies, MRI	Medication, therapy, surgical repair
Internal	Pneumothorax, organ damage, bleeding	Deep pain, shortness of breath, blood in urine	CT scan, ultrasound, labs	Observation, transfusion, surgery
Head	Concussion, skull fracture	Headache, confusion, vomiting	CT scan, neuro exam	Observation, meds, surgery for severe cases

Use this table as a quick guide, then talk with your doctor about tests and a plan that fits your symptoms.

Common Types of Car Accidents and Resulting Injuries

The crash type often shapes the injuries you see in the ER. Impact angle, speed, restraint use, and vehicle size all play a role. Here is how injuries often track with different collisions.

Head-on Collisions

Front-to-front impacts are among the most dangerous and lead to serious trauma. Common injuries include whiplash, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, amputations, deep cuts, brain injuries, and soft tissue damage. Energy transfer is high, which raises the risk of complex fractures and organ damage.

Vehicle design and airbags reduce risk, yet not fully. Seat position and proper belts still matter a lot.

Rear-end Crashes

Whiplash is the classic injury in a rear hit. Back and neck injuries, soft tissue strains, and head injuries are also common. Even low-speed bumps can trigger days of pain and stiffness.

Early care, photos of damage, and a prompt report help your health and your claim. Keep a journal of symptoms if headaches or sleep issues start later.

Side Impact Accidents

T-bone or sideswipe collisions can cause neck injuries, chest trauma, head and brain injuries, back injuries, limb fractures, soft tissue injuries, pelvic injuries, and abdominal injuries. Doors offer less protection than front or rear structures. That is why side airbags help when present.

Occupant position matters. Injuries are often worse on the struck side.

Rollover Crashes

Vehicles with a higher center of gravity face roll risks in sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers. Rollovers can cause spinal cord injuries, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, and head trauma. Roof crush and ejection raise the stakes.

Seatbelts and proper child restraints save lives in rollovers. Secure loose cargo to reduce projectiles inside the cabin.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes

Big rigs and buses carry much more mass, which means greater force on smaller vehicles. Injuries can include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, crushing injuries, burns, and exposure to hazardous cargo. Multiple vehicles are often involved, which complicates fault and insurance issues.

Gathering evidence fast can make a large difference here. Preservation letters and black-box data often matter.

Steps to Take If You Are Injured in a Car Accident

Your health comes first, and the right steps also protect your claim. If you can, do the following after a crash.

• Check for injuries before moving the injured. Keep people still if you suspect neck or back trauma.
• Call 9-1-1 right away.
• Seek prompt medical help, even if you feel okay at the scene.
• Attend every medical visit and follow treatment plans.
• If you cannot handle the details, contact a car accident lawyer who can step in quickly.

Photos, witness names, and the police report number also help. Save receipts and start a symptom diary within a day or two.

Types of Damages in Car Accident Injury Claims

Compensation in injury cases covers both financial losses and non-financial harm. Here are common categories and examples. Every case is different, so facts and records matter.

• Medical Expenses, such as ambulance bills, hospital stays, medications, prosthetic devices, therapy, and rehab.
• Income Losses, with past lost wages calculated from records and future losses often needing professional analysis.
• Pain and Suffering, which covers physical pain and mental strain.
• Loss of Consortium, when a spouse loses the benefits of the relationship due to the injury.
• Disfigurement, for permanent scars or lasting changes to appearance.
• Loss of Quality of Life, for limits that reduce hobbies, independence, or daily enjoyment.

A knowledgeable car accident injury lawyer can help organize evidence, value claims, and push for a fair outcome. We do this work every day, and we take pride in treating people with respect and patience.

Do You Need Assistance with a Car Accident Injury Claim? Contact Morain & Buckelew, LLC, Today

Our team is dedicated to making a hard time easier, and we fight for results that help you move forward. We bring decades of focused injury work, and we handle cases with honesty, professionalism, and kindness. If you want straight answers about your options, reach out and talk with us.

Feel free to call 404-448-3146, or visit our website and tell us what happened. We welcome your questions and can set up a consultation with a knowledgeable attorney. The sooner you connect with us, the sooner we can protect your rights and help you focus on recovery.