Unintentional injuries or accidents, which accounted for roughly 6% of all deaths in the United States in 2020, were the fourth highest cause of mortality. Every year, between two and three million individuals are wounded in motor vehicle accidents on American highways. While many injuries are caused by negligence or intent, many others are simply the consequence of accidents.
According to an esteemed Brooklyn personal injury lawyer from the famed Barnes Firm, “Whether your car crash was minor or serious, any injuries sustained in an accident can be painful and costly.” Here is the information about some of the most common accidental injuries and the best ways to recover from them.
Types of Road Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries vary greatly depending on the direction of the crash, vehicle’s condition, speed, whether you were wearing a seat belt, and the use of an airbag. However, some injuries are typical in car accidents.
1. Injury to head and brain
A head injury can be life-changing when the head collides with the steering wheel, a side window, or the door support bar. A traumatic brain injury symptoms include loss of consciousness, short-term memory loss, personality changes, mood swings, chronic headaches, blurred vision, and communication difficulties.
2. Injury to chest and abdomen
In a high-speed accident, car occupants are at risk of these injuries. It is due to the position of the seatbelts and the proximity of the driver to the steering wheel. In these types of accidents, chest contusions are common.
3. Injury to legs and knees
A car occupant’s legs may be crushed by the dashboard, engine firewall, or the door next to them, depending on the vehicles involved in the crash.
4. Injury to neck and back
A rear-end collision is commonly associated with whiplash, a soft-tissue injury known as a cervical sprain. The head’s violent, whipping action can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments across the spine.
5. Psychological Injuries
Following a catastrophic collision, both passengers and drivers may experience psychological illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
On the Way to Recovery
Scrapes, bruises, fractured bones are the most obvious ways a car accident can affect you. But it also affects your physical and emotional health. So, here are seven ways to help you physically and mentally recover from accidental injury faster.
1. Relax and hydrate yourself
When you feel overly exhausted and fatigued after an accident, this is your body’s way of requesting rest. While you may be eager to return to your routine as quickly as possible, be aware of your body’s cues to take a break. Your body craves relaxation to recover from an automobile accident fully.
Your body requires water to function correctly, and getting enough to drink while recovering after a stressful situation is incredibly vital. To aid in the healing process, keep your body hydrated.
2. Consult a physician
Speak with an injury doctor who can offer you exercise routines once your body has healed to a certain point. Stretching, yoga and targeted lifting exercises can help you feel better throughout the day and stay fit as you recover.
You need to follow your physician’s advice and receive the medical treatments they recommend. It is essential for two reasons. First, you protect your health and increase the likelihood of recovering as much as you can from the injuries you suffered. In addition, following your doctor’s orders will help strengthen your compensation claim.
3. Strengthen your muscles
People wounded in a car accident must find techniques to relieve discomfort while regaining flexibility and strength. Engaging in strengthening activities is the most excellent approach to do this.
These workouts are effective at pumping blood to various regions of the body. In addition, the exercises help build the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body, which protect the body’s other tissues.
While you should expect some discomfort during exercise, it shouldn’t be severe enough to give you pain. Feeling a tiny burn during your workout can assist you in progressing in your recuperation, but exercising while in discomfort will obstruct your recovery.
4. Massage sessions
It’s difficult to exercise when you’ve been in a car accident and your injury is agonizing. Massage treatments are the most straightforward technique to ease this pain and hasten your recuperation.
Massage also increases joint flexibility by stretching skeletal muscles and tissues. In addition, it can aid in the relaxation of muscles and joints, allowing you to regain strength and mobility while also increasing flexibility and range of motion.
Another advantage of massage therapy after a vehicle accident is that it can significantly speed up your healing, especially if you have musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, deep tissue massage has been demonstrated to help break down scar tissue and prevent it from forming, allowing you to recover with more flexibility and mobility.
5. Discuss your emotions
Suffering in silence can exacerbate emotional anguish and sorrow. So instead, discuss your feelings and how you’re dealing with a trustworthy friend or family member. Make sure to have someone to assist you in processing your own emotions.
Talking to a therapist might also be beneficial. They are qualified to give you guidance on stress management and trauma recovery. Talk to your doctor about how to choose the best therapist for you. After an accident, you don’t have to suffer alone. Make sure you get the help you need for your physical and mental issues.
6. Take care of your nourishment
Improving your diet can help you heal from car accident injuries more quickly. For rapid recovery, create a balanced eating plan with the help of a nutritionist or dietician.
Certain foods may be the ideal supplement for treating your ailment, depending on your dietary limitations or personal injury, while avoiding others. For example, vitamins and minerals can help you combat inflammation, which may be contributing to your pain. In addition, by consuming nutritious meals, you can quickly alleviate some of the symptoms of your injury.
7. Seek the advice of a lawyer
As your medical bills mount, you may face difficulties and lose money due to lost workdays. It is natural to feel overwhelmed after being injured. By educating you on your legal rights to financial recompense, a skilled personal injury attorney can help relieve stress.
An attorney will battle for you to get complete and reasonable compensation for medical expenses, car damages, lost earnings, pain and suffering, emotional stress, and more in an injury case.
