What Happens to A Person’s Body in an Erie Car Crash?

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Attorney Grant Travis | Travis Law Firm | Personal Injury Attorney, DUI Defense Attorney, Criminal Defense Attorney | Serving Erie, Crawford, Warren & all of Northwestern PA | Call the Travis Law Firm at 814-277-2222 today!

Motor vehicles are safer today than they have ever been; however, people are still seriously injured in car crashes each day in the United States. Each year, thousands of people die in car accidents, and millions more suffer injuries. While the use of seatbelts, airbags, and other safety devices can reduce the risk of death and injury in a car crash, these devices cannot prevent all injuries. Understanding what happens during a car crash can explain some of the reasons why we are injured even though the knowledge cannot prevent the injury.

How the Body Moves When a Car is Struck by Another Vehicle?

During the initial crash, your vehicle suddenly stops, but your body does not. Depending on the type of crash and the speed of the vehicles, your body may not stop until it collides with another object such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or window. In some cases, a victim could be thrown from the vehicle because of the violence of the collision.

Below are three common types of car crashes and how our bodies typically move within the vehicle at the time of impact. For this purpose, we are assuming everyone is wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash.

  • Rear-End Collisions

When another vehicle slams into your vehicle from behind, the collision can cause your head to whip back and forth violently. For this reason, rear-end collisions are the most common type of car accident for whiplash cases, even though whiplash can occur in any car crash. Other common injuries including back, spine, chest, and head injuries as your entire upper body are jerked forward then backward.

  • T-Bone or Side-Impact Collisions

In many cases, the person sitting on the side of impact receives the full brunt of the impact between the vehicles. Your body can be thrown side to side, causing a variety of injuries. In addition, when the vehicles collide, part of the vehicle can crush the occupant or intrude into the vehicle causing a puncture wound. In addition to suffering whiplash, head, and back injuries, side-impact crashes can also cause severe injuries to the chest and pelvic area. Broken bones in the upper arms, shoulder, and leg are also common injuries in side-impact crashes.

  • Head-On Collisions

Head-on crashes tend to be extremely dangerous and pose a high risk of death and traumatic injuries. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and aggressive drivers cause many of the head-on or front-end crashes. When another vehicle slams into the front of your vehicle, most of the injuries occur from either being thrown from the vehicle or your body being slammed into objects within the vehicle.

The front seat passengers can be violently crushed and slammed into the steering wheel, windshield, or dashboard. Depending on the severity of the crash, parts of the engine can enter the front of the vehicle causing death and severe injuries. The injuries from a head-on collision vary because of the unique circumstances of each crash. Some common injuries include fractured sternum, knee injuries, head trauma, facial injuries, spinal cord injuries, back injuries, broken bones in the pelvic area and hips, and intra-abdominal injuries.

Call an Erie Car  Accident Attorney for Help

Call The Travis Law Firm at (800) 401-2066 to schedule a free legal consultation with an experienced Erie car accident lawyer to discuss how you can recover compensation for your medical bills, physical pain, lost wages, and other damages.