Ever been involved in a car accident? Or heard someone describe the damage to their automobile or to their own body following a crash? This is the first part in our three part series about automobile accidents. This first part will provide an overview about accidents, the second part will discuss how your body may be injured during a crash, and the third and final part of this series will discuss how River Ridge Chiropractic can help.
There were 11.5 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2009, and of car crashes involving nonfatal injuries, over 2 million people were injured (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/transportation/motor_vehicle_accidents_and_fatalities.html). The Spine Research Institute of San Diego estimates that there are roughly 3 million new whiplash injuries in the United States each year (http://www.srisd.com/). That’s a lot of hurting people.
Most of us will be involved in at least a minor fender bender at some point in our lives. The human body can be just like cars where there may not appear to be any surface damage but there could be lots of damage on the inside. Factors such as seat belts, airbags, the fitness and age of the victim, as well as details of the crash such as speed and how the impact occurs can all impact the extent of sustained injuries.
As we know, seatbelts and airbags help prevent more serious accidents. Without restraints, a body in motion will stay in motion until it strikes another object. This is also true in car accidents. Even with proper restraints, whiplash can occur due to the forward momentum of the head. Likewise, rib or sternal fractures, organ lacerations or ruptures, tearing of major chest vessels, spinal fractures or dislocation, and even severe brain injury can occur in a motor vehicle accident.
The next part of this series will discuss some of the common injuries associated with automobile accidents.
