Most Common Auto Accident Injuries and What Causes Them

In 2019 alone, statistics revealed that there were an estimated 230 million licensed drivers in our country. With so many people driving a wide array of motor vehicles on the road, car crashes are bound to happen, and some of them are very serious and deadly.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a 2020 report suggests that the average motor vehicle weighs 4,156 pounds. Larger-than-average vehicles are even heavier, and when coupled with high speeds, are essentially the equivalent of a deadly weapon. As a result, car accidents tend to cause a lot of damage, both property damage and bodily injury, and in worst-case scenarios, fatalities.

Continue reading to learn the common kinds of auto accident injuries, what causes them, and how to verify your eligibility to pursue legal action against a wrongful driver or automaker.

Traffic Accident Lawyer Indianapolis Indiana 317-881-2700
Traffic Accident Lawyer Indianapolis Indiana 317-881-2700

Typical Causes of Traffic Accidents and Fatalities

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in the year 2018, more than 2.7 million car crashes occurred, 36,000 of which resulted in a fatality. This devastating statistic shows how real the risks are when it comes to accidents involving motor vehicles. The most common causes of car accidents include reckless driving, distracted driving, intoxicated driving, and speeding.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a serious cause of motor vehicle accidents and car crashes in the United States, and even all across the world. Common examples include texting, making phone calls, changing the GPS settings, applying makeup, looking through briefcases/purses, grabbing items from the backseat, and similar behaviors that take drivers’ eyes off the road for more than a second. Fatigued driving is another common type of distracted driving but may also be categorized as reckless driving depending on the circumstances.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is considered a more serious offense because it is typically a conscious choice. Those who drive recklessly are generally aware that their behavior is reckless or negligent. Common examples of reckless driving include speeding, running red lights, changing lanes abruptly without using signals, cutting off other drivers, driving with no hands on the steering wheel, driving at night without headlights on, tailing other cars, driving over sidewalks, ignoring traffic signs and signals, and similar careless behaviors.

Intoxicated Driving

Intoxicated driving is illegal and can lead to both criminal and civil penalties. Furthermore, intoxicated driving refers to driving under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs, or controlled substances. Drunk drivers have a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. Driving under the influence of drugs like marijuana, methamphetamines, opiates, and hallucinogens is also considered intoxicated driving. Controlled substances are OTC and prescribed medications like prescription pain killers, sleeping pills, anxiety medications, and similar medicines that cause drowsiness and/or inebriation.

Speeding

Speeding can also be considered a form of reckless driving. It is a top cause of serious car accidents and fatalities. In fact, the National Safety Council reports that 26% of the total traffic fatalities occurring in 2018 involved speeding. Speed limits are set because they are the safest speed to operate a vehicle while remaining in full control. At higher speeds, driver control is significantly reduced, which can lead to serious auto collisions.

Common Auto Accident Injuries

Although every motor vehicle collision is different, most car crashes tend to result in the similar of injuries. The most common auto accident injuries include whiplash, as well as injuries to the head, chest, arms, and legs.

Whiplash is by far the most common resulting car accident injury. Collisions tend to cause the neck and head to whip forward and backward and side to side very quickly. The severity of whiplash can vary on a spectrum from minor injuries, like stiffness or soreness of the neck and headache, to more serious and concerning injuries, like significant neck pain, permanent neck pain, dizziness, tinnitus, migraines, loss of vision, back pain, and neck injuries.

Head injuries are unfortunately common when it comes to serious car accidents. Head injuries can range from minor to major. Minor head injuries caused by car accidents may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivities, although these can be more serious depending on how long the symptoms last. More serious car accident head injuries include concussion, loss of consciousness, traumatic brain injuries, impaired thinking, loss of movement control, and loss of sensations.

Injuries to the chest, arms, and legs are another common result of auto accidents. Chests are often impacted by air bag deployment, which can lead to minor injuries like burns, bruises, or soreness, again, depending on how long the symptoms last. Chests of drivers and passengers can also be injured by blunt force trauma from an impact with another vehicle or structure. More serious chest injuries include broken ribs, lung punctures, organ ruptures, and other internal injuries or bleeding. Arms and legs can be severely burned, maimed, disfigured, or severed in serious car crashes. Orthopedic injuries, like shoulder and pelvic injuries, are also common in car accidents.

Are you a victim of a reckless or negligent car accident in Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a no-risk, no-fee personal injury consultation with an experienced car accident attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. We also represent injured persons throughout the state of Indiana and Indiana residents injured in other states.

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Eye-Opening Drunk Driving Facts and Statistics

Drunk driving is a dangerous behavior. When a person drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are essentially operating a 5,000 pound missile. Vehicles can quickly turn into weapons when operated by someone who is intoxicated.

So the next time you consider driving after having a few drinks, you need to remember the drunk driving and motor vehicle accident facts listed below. If you were hurt by a drunk or negligent driver, contact our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers for help recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve.

Car Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Car Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Don’t Wait to Learn From Your Mistake. Never Drive Drunk AGAIN.

According the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), these are the most recent statistics and facts regarding intoxicated driving accidents and fatalities:

In the United States, 28 people die in an alcohol/impaired driving accident, EVERYDAY. That equates to 1 death every hour.

In 2015, 29% of all motor vehicle crashes that resulted in fatalities were caused by drunk driving. That means that than 10,000 people died that year in an alcohol-impaired car crash.

In 2015, there were 1,100,132 traffic deaths among minors. From these traffic fatalities, 209 were alcohol-related.

More than 1 million drivers were arrested in 2015 for impaired driving.

Separate from alcohol, 16% of all motor vehicle accidents are caused by legal and illegal drugs.

Individuals More at Risk of Impaired Driving Accidents

It is suggested that younger individuals (under 24 years old) are more likely to be involved in a serious motor vehicle accident as a result of intoxicated driving.

In 2015, 8% of the drunk drivers involved in a fatal crash were between the ages of 21 and 24 years old. 27% were between the ages of 25 and 34, and 23% were between the ages of 35 and 44.

Drug users are 25% more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident compared to non-drug users.

In 2015, 27% of all motorcycle accident fatalities were alcohol impaired related.

The highest percentage of deaths (37%) among motorcyclist accidents are between the ages of 35 and 39.

Drunk drivers involved in fatal car crashes are more than 4 times as likely to have a prior conviction for DUI compared to drivers involved in fatal car crashes with no alcohol in their system.

Source

Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyers

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Law Firm
317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to speak with a licensed car accident lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana. We never collect attorney fees unless we obtain compensation for you, and we also offer free initial consultations. Get started on your physical, emotional, and financial recovery today!