A common symptom, although not necessarily a pain, common to motor vehicle accidents is a change in personality or physical function. This could be a sign of a traumatic brain injury resulting from a concussion. Other symptoms to watch for include impaired thinking or memory, movement, problems with vision or hearing, and personality changes or depression. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries.
What Are Common Injuries Following a Motor Vehicle Accident?
Some of the more common injuries that can result from a vehicle accident include:
- Head injury – A vehicle’s sudden stop or change in direction can cause the head to experience sudden and unnatural movements. This sudden movement can cause muscle strains in the neck and back. The injury can range from a concussion to brain damage.
- Neck and Back injuries- Neck and back injuries are common in motor vehicle accidents ranging from a mild strain to chronic injury. Injury to neck and back can cause severe pain, loss of feeling, and even loss of muscle control.
- Shoulder injuries – Shoulder pain is one of the common injury site after an accident. Injury to the shoulder can cause deep bruising, shoulder strains, and shoulder ligament tear
- Knee injuries – knee pain can be the result of damage to the cartilage of the knee, patella (knee cap), or torn meniscus. These injuries can be painful and often take time to show the pain and severity of the injury
- Arm and leg injuries – Injuries to arms and legs can range from simple bruises or sprains and even broken bones depending on the nature of the collision
- Soft Tissue injuries – The most common type of injury resulting from a motor vehicle accident is an injury to soft tissue. A soft tissue injury is damage to connective tissue (muscles, ligaments, and tendons) in the body. Motor vehicle accidents often result in soft tissue injuries in the neck, and muscle sprains in other areas of the body. The injury can cause mid-back and low-back pain.
What are Common Pains Following a Motor Vehicle Accident?
Some of the pains that occur following a motor vehicle accident are readily apparent. However, some pains may appear even after weeks after the accident. These pains include:
- It is common for headaches to develop several days after a vehicle accident, but it can be more than a common pain. Sometimes a headache can signal a serious problem, such as a blood clot in the brain.
- Neck or shoulder pain or stiffness. Whiplash is a delayed symptom injury associated with accidents occurs as the result of rear-end vehicle collisions at low speeds.
- A loss of feeling in the arms and hands is often the result of a whiplash injury resulting from damage to the neck or spinal column.
- Back pain. Pain in the back after an accident could be the result of an injury to muscles, ligaments or nerves in the back. Low back pain is found in a majority of motor vehicle accidents that could damage your vertebrae and discs of the spine. Back strains are common, but severe back injury can cause slipped disc or rupture of the disc. These injuries can cause long-term disability and the symptom may take even weeks after accident
- Abdominal pain or swelling. Internal bleeding can cause bruising, dizziness, and fainting can be a result of internal bleeding which can remain undiscovered for several days.