Long-Term Effects of Car Accident Injuries

The emotional and financial distress of a car accident can feel insurmountable. Given the high-speed impact of most car accidents, injured persons often experience long-term health consequences. When treated promptly, car accident victims can usually avoid further complications. Even so, long-term and permanent disability plagues many car accident victims, forcing them to use mobility aids to get around. Individuals who can work often must do so in a reduced capacity, all while juggling ongoing medical costs.

At Wilt Injury Lawyers, we believe that a driver who causes harm to another person through careless or reckless behavior should be held accountable for their wrongdoing. If you experience lasting physical effects, our car accident attorneys in Northern KY would like to hear from you.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accident victims often experience the following injuries:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Any strike, blow, or bump to the head can disrupt normal brain function, resulting in a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Symptoms may range in severity, but can include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and loss of consciousness. In some cases, individuals may experience long-term symptoms, including mood swings, aphasia (trouble communicating), memory loss, persistent headaches, and anxiety/depression. When symptoms last longer than three months, this is known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS).

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is composed of a bundle of nerves that transmit signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord can present as extreme pressure in the back, neck, or head, loss of bladder or bowel control, and in severe cases, paralysis. While immediate intervention can reduce the likelihood of permanent damage, the loss of function is irreversible.

Whiplash

Whiplash is common in rear-end accidents. In a whiplash injury, the cervical spine (neck) experiences a rapid back-and-forth movement, caused by the sudden change in speed. Comparable to the cracking of a whip, symptoms of whiplash involve neck pain or stiffness, shoulder pain, dizziness, radiating pain to the arms or back, and headaches starting at the base of the skull. While many whiplash injuries can resolve in time, some individuals experience chronic neck and back pain.

Traumatic Amputations

Nearly 60 percent of traumatic amputations are caused by motor vehicle accidents. Common traumatic amputations include the severing of a leg, arm, finger, or toe, with the severity depending on the angle and speed of impact. In some cases, a partially severed limb or digit may need to be surgically amputated due to irreparable damage.

Disfigurement and/or Scarring

Whether it be a deploying airbag, a shattered windshield, or leaking fluid that ignites, car accident victims often experience disfiguring injuries. These injuries can impact a person’s emotional and physical well-being, forcing survivors to undergo ongoing medical procedures and treatments. Sadly, these scars run deeper than the skin, coming at the cost of a person’s enjoyment of life.

Compensation for Car Accident Victims

Car accident victims may experience physical, emotional, and financial losses. Known as damages, these losses can be divided into monetary (economic) and non-monetary (non-economic) damages.

Economic damages, or any losses that take money directly out of a person’s bank account, are the bulk of a car accident claim. These often include:

• Lost wages
• Ambulatory services
• Emergency room care
• Procedures and surgeries
• Rehabilitative therapies
• Prosthesis and mobility aids
• Home modifications

Conversely, non-economic damages refer to any intangible losses that affect a person’s quality of life. In a car accident claim, these often include:

• Pain and suffering
• Negligent infliction of emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Damage to reputation
• Permanent disability
• Disfigurement and/or scarring

Car accident victims often do not realize the full extent to which a crash has on their lives. At Wilt Injury Lawyers, we calculate noneconomic damages using the multiplier method. By rating the severity of your injuries on a scale from 1.5 to 5, we take this figure and multiply it by your total economic damages to determine your total non-economic damages. Even though noneconomic damages have no price tag, no value can be placed on the detriment caused to your life.

Our Car Accident Lawyers Are On Your Side

A collision occurs in a split second, with the ripple effects being felt for eternity. While physical therapy and surgeries can help to reduce the severity of your symptoms, your life will never be the same. The Northern Kentucky car accident attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers understand the damage that a crash can have on the course of your life. While we cannot reverse your injuries, compensation can help to ease the financial blow. If you are interested in discussing your case with a member of our team, contact us online or call (502) 427-6813 today.