Car accidents are a part of everyday reality in Marion County. Their number increased steadily and significantly from 28,749 in 2013 to 37,447 in 2016. For most residents, a rear-end car accident in Indianapolis is no news. They witness such events on a daily basis.
The intersections 21st Street & Shadeland, Madison & Stop 11 Road, 38th & Franklin Road intersections seem doomed. According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, they are the sites of the most accidents in Marion County. Drivers are in such a hurry to cross them that they forget to pay attention to the other cars. Many press the brake pedal when it is already too late. Others are in such a hurry that they forget to use the signals.
The worst part is that even a rear-end accident occurring at low speed can have devastating consequences. Car repairs are quite expensive, and accident history affects your insurance premium. Moreover, drivers and passengers involved in rear-end car accidents often incur serious injuries.
They can all benefit from the help of an Indianapolis car accident attorney. If they want to recover their losses, they will need to file an accident claim. This can mean complicated insurance procedures or even a civil lawsuit. Seeking medical attention and attorney advice should be a priority for any accident victim.
A medical consultation is the best way to detect injuries and ensure adequate treatment. An attorney can provide all the guidance and support an accident victim may need. Preparing, justifying, and negotiating a rear-end car accident claim in Indianapolis is not easy. Those doing it will need all the help they can get.
This is especially true for accident victims who incurred serious injuries. Such injuries take time and money to treat and can turn the sufferer’s life upside down. The best way to understand that is to review the most common injuries and their implications.
1. Whiplash Injuries Following a Rear-End Car Accident in Indianapolis, IN
A common name for whiplash is neck sprain. The injury is common in rear-end accidents. Its main cause is the accident impact. It causes the drivers and passengers’ heads to jerk forward or backward suddenly. In doing so, it stretches or even tears their neck muscles and tendons.
Common whiplash symptoms are:
- Neck pain, tightness, and decreased motion range
- Stiffness and pain when rocking one’s head sideways, or forward and backward
- Tenderness
- Skull-base headaches radiating in the forehead area
A medical examination is the best way to diagnose whiplash injuries. In some cases, an x-ray, a CT scan or other tests are necessary as well. Treating whiplash is not difficult, but can be costly. It may take ice patches, pain management medication, neck braces, and even massage therapy. Recovery can take days, weeks, or even months.
With the help of an experienced car accident attorney, whiplash victims may be able to claim:
- Doctor fees and treatment costs
- Price of any medical devices and rehabilitation therapy
- Lost earnings due to inability to work
- Pain and suffering (in chronic pain cases)
2. Back Injuries as a Result of a Rear-End Car Accident in Indianapolis
Back pain is common after rear-end car accidents. Sometimes, it is directly connected to whiplash. The human body is simply unable to absorb the impact of the accident. Its various parts suffer the consequences, and the back is one of the most sensitive.
There are three major back regions affected by car accidents:
- The upper back or the cervical region
- The middle back or the thoracic region
- The lower back or the lumbar region
The spinal cord crosses all regions. It supports numerous muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments. We will discuss spinal cord injuries separately, as they are more serious. Injuries to the muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments can be very painful too. They can impact the sufferer’s ability to move and work, and diminish the quality of life.
Their diagnosis often requires x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, myelograms, and detailed medical exams. Their treatment can include pain and anti-inflammatory drugs or injections, surgery, and chiropractic care. Some injuries heal within days. Others need months and costly treatments and rehabilitation.
An experienced Indianapolis car accident attorney will help clients recover any costs and losses. They will put together medical reports, receipts, cost estimates, and medicine leaflets. They will prove the pain their client suffered, the expenses they incurred, and the money they lost.
3. Airbag Injuries after a Rear-End Car Accident
When a car accident occurs, the impact force causes the airbags to deploy at high speed. The airbags may be hot and full of dust and chemicals. They may save the driver and passengers’ lives, but they cause their share of injuries. Here are a few examples:
- Due to the high deployment speed, airbags may cause burns and abrasions.
- The chemicals meant to facilitate airbag deployment can irritate the person’s airways and lungs. They may even cause an asthma attack.
- Deployed at high speed and throwing dust and chemicals, airbags may cause serious eye injuries.
Anyone incurring airbag injuries should consult a car accident attorney. If the airbags functioned normally, the party at fault for the accident will cover the losses. If the airbags malfunctioned, it may be possible to sue a third party. It could be the manufacturer of the car or airbag or the repair shop that replaced the airbags.
4. Spinal Cord Injuries Following a Rear-End Car Accident
Spinal cord injuries occur when bone parts, disc material or ligaments affect the spinal cord tissue. They often destroy nerve cells which communicate between the brain and various body parts. In severe cases, they may lead to paralysis and long-term disability. Their diagnosis and treatment usually involve costly services and products. These include:
- X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, specialized medical examinations
- Surgery and post-surgery treatments
- Pain management and neuro-stimulant medication
- Rehabilitation treatment and therapy (physical therapy, massage, electrostimulation, etc.)
- Medical devices (wheelchair, crutches, walking frame)
Spinal cord injury victims often need months or years to recover. In some cases, they can never fully recover. Their disability ends up costing them their ability to work, their self-esteem, and their relationship. Coping with it often takes huge investments in home adjustments and months of therapy. An experienced and dedicated car accident attorney should be able to recover these costs and more.
5. Head and Brain Injuries during a Rear-End Car Accident in Indianapolis
During car accidents, victims often incur head injuries. The impact causes them to hit the dashboard, the windshield, a side window, or the front seat. There are several types of head injuries, listed below by severity:
- Concussion – brain injury due to the brain hitting the walls of the skull
- Skull fracture – a fissure or rupture in the skull bone
- Hematoma – blood clot or collection outside blood vessels
- Hemorrhage – uncontrolled bleeding around the brain or in the brain tissue
- Edema – swelling of the brain or the surrounding tissue
- Diffuse axonal injury – a brain injury that involves no bleeding but damages brain cells
To assess head injuries, doctors often administer neurological tests and request CT and MRI scans. Since a simple bruise or bump may hide serious brain injuries, sufferers should seek medical attention. Brain injuries often have permanent consequences and long-term financial repercussions. An experienced car accident attorney should negotiate their compensation.
6. Facial Disfigurement as a Result of an Indianapolis Rear-End Car Accident
Facial disfigurement is a common consequence of car accidents in Indianapolis. Windshields often break during impact and their glass cuts through the skin and flesh of drivers and passengers. Sometimes, airbags deployed at high speed are hot and full of chemicals that cause unsightly burns and bruises.
Facial disfigurement is difficult to treat and put up with. It often requires expensive surgical procedures and long-term recovery. Victims go through tremendous physical and mental pain and suffering. The law entitles them to compensation.
However, it takes a skilled car accident attorney to justify all losses and prove suffering. This is especially true when the disfigurement is permanent and future losses need estimation as well.
7. Wrist and Arm Injuries from a Rear-End Car Accident in Indianapolis
When their car is hit from behind, the force pushes drivers and passengers forward. Most of them will use their arms to cushion the impact. Unfortunately, their body weight and the impact force are often overwhelming, leading to wrist and arm injuries.
These are unsightly, costly to treat, and difficult to heal. Unable to use their arms, many accident victims need time off work. Some never fully recover from their injuries. Arm-related disabilities have a huge negative impact on the life of the disabled person.
Those incurring wrist and arm injuries should definitely consider working with a car accident attorney. The latter can save them a lot of time and effort and help them obtain compensation for their losses. They will take over all formalities and allow their client to focus on their recovery.
8. Belt Injuries during Indianapolis Rear-End Car Accident
Seat belts aim to protect drivers and passengers against injuries when accidents occur. Unfortunately, in some cases, they end up causing injuries themselves. When it happens, a car accident attorney can document the injuries and seek compensation. Common examples of seat belt injuries are:
- Whiplash
- Bruising
- Chest injuries
- Abdominal injuries
- Internal bleeding
Undetected, some of these injuries can become life-threatening. That is why seeking medical help after a rear-end car accident is so important. If you have not done so already, you should. After that, don’t hesitate to seek legal help and start preparing your car accident claim.
Contact a Rowe & Hamilton Car Accident Attorney in Indianapolis Now!
At Rowe & Hamilton, we know how painful, costly, and difficult to heal rear-end car accident injuries can be. We have been helping Indianapolis accident victims obtain compensation for them for years. We can help you too. Call our office now at 317-482-7888 and schedule a FREE consultation with a dedicated car accident attorney!
