What Happens to Your Body During a Car Accident?

Car accidents tend to happen quickly, but their effects on the body can linger for weeks, months, or even longer. When your body absorbs the kinds of forces it was never designed to withstand, the resulting injuries aren’t always obvious right away. An understanding of what happens to your body in a car crash can help you recognize warning signs and seek the medical care you need.

Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney has spent decades helping New York accident victims get fair compensation for their injuries, and we’re here to help you, too. Contact Scott and his team today to get started with a free consultation.

How Crash Forces Affect the Human Body

A car crash can unleash tremendous force within a split second. When two vehicles collide, they stop suddenly, but the body doesn’t stop as quickly. Your organs, muscles, and bones continue moving forward until something stops them, often a seatbelt, an airbag, or the interior of the vehicle itself.

This sudden deceleration can transfer massive amounts of energy through your body in a car accident. Your brain might strike the inside of your skull. Your internal organs can shift and collide with your ribcage or spine. Your neck can whip forward and back with tremendous speed, straining muscles, ligaments, and tendons far beyond their normal range.

The severity of these forces generally correlates directly with the severity of your injuries. A low-speed fender-bender might cause minor soreness that goes away within a few days. A high-speed collision might cause catastrophic trauma that requires surgery, extended hospitalization, or lifelong care. Every car accident body injury is a result of this transfer of force, and the human body simply isn’t built to withstand sudden, violent impacts.

Common Injuries from Car Accidents

Injuries from car accidents can vary widely depending on factors like crash speed, angle of impact, and seatbelt use. Some injuries are immediately obvious, while others take hours or days to show symptoms. Common injuries from car accidents include the following:

• Broken Bones and Sprains – Bones can break when they absorb forces that exceed what the skeletal structure can handle. Sprains occur when soft tissues get stretched or torn.
• Lacerations and Soft Tissue Injuries – Broken glass, loose objects, and metal can cause deep cuts, and sudden impacts can bruise or tear muscles and tendons. Such injuries can cause significant pain and suffering and can take considerable time to fully heal.
• Chest and Abdominal Trauma – Seatbelts and steering wheels can cause deep internal bruising, rib injuries, or damage to organs like the lungs or liver.
• Spinal Cord Injuries and Nerve Damage – Compression or twisting of the spine can damage spinal discs, vertebrae, or nerves, potentially leading to chronic pain or even paralysis.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries – The brain can strike the skull’s interior walls during sudden stops, which can cause concussions or more severe brain trauma. Head injuries can also occur when a penetrating item like glass or a piece of metal pierces the skull.
• Whiplash and Neck Injuries – Rapid back-and-forth motion in a collision can strain the neck’s internal structures and often causes pain that intensifies over time.
• Internal Injuries and Hidden Trauma – Some of the most serious injuries, like internal bleeding, have few outward symptoms until a person’s condition becomes severe. That is why they are known as hidden injuries.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care

Certain symptoms after a car accident demand immediate medical attention. Loss of consciousness, even if it’s brief, always warrants an ER visit. Severe or worsening pain, difficulty breathing, abdominal swelling, numbness, and confusion can all signal medical emergencies. Heavy bleeding, visible deformities, and the inability to move a limb or digit also require urgent and proper treatment.

Some injuries, like internal bleeding and organ damage, are not immediately apparent. Car accident victims may not notice these symptoms until hours or even days after a crash. As such, it’s best to seek care early rather than wait to see if symptoms develop. An early diagnosis may be able to prevent long-term complications.

Prompt medical attention is key to protecting your health and creating medical documentation that connects your injuries to the accident. Insurers are suspicious of gaps between accidents and medical treatment, so seeking care right away is one of the best ways to strengthen your personal injury case.

The Serious Injury Threshold in New York

New York operates under a no-fault insurance system. That means your own insurance typically covers your initial medical expenses, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. If you want to “step outside” of the no-fault system and pursue a claim against the at-fault driver, you must first prove that you meet New York’s “serious injury” threshold.

Under state law, serious injuries include those that result in the following:

• Fractures
• Permanent limitation of the use of a body organ or member
• Significant disfigurement
• The inability to perform all daily activities for at least 90 of the first 180 days after an accident

If your injuries meet this legal standard, you have the right to sue for financial compensation beyond what your own no-fault insurance benefits provide, including compensation for pain and suffering.

When to Contact a New York Car Accident Lawyer

Certain crash scenarios call for prompt legal support. It’s a good idea to have an experienced legal advocate evaluate your situation and start protecting your rights if any of the following apply:

• Your injuries seem severe.
• You know or suspect you’ll require long-term medical care.
• You’re unsure whether your case meets the serious injury threshold.
• The insurance company disputes, undervalues, or denies your claim.

Legal support can also relieve you of the burden of having to gather and organize medical records, track all of your expenses, or negotiate with adjusters when you should be focused on healing.

Let Us Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve

Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney has secured millions of dollars in full and fair compensation for New York accident victims. When you come to us for help, our legal team can handle every aspect of your case, including claims for property damage, no-fault benefits, medical expenses, lost wages, and more. That way, you’re free to focus entirely on getting better. We can even coordinate with your doctors directly. Just let us know when you have an appointment, and we’ll follow up with the office to get your records.

Here’s what one of our clients had to say about working with us:

“From start to finish, I felt I had made a great choice for representation for my case. Everyone is caring, respectful, patient and supportive and worked tirelessly for the best possible outcome. Thank you all for everything!”
– Eugene S.

If you or someone you love suffered a car accident injury, let us put our decades of experience to work for you. Contact a car accident lawyer at Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney today for a free legal consultation.