What happens to your body in a car crash?
Motor Vehicles Accidents - January 10, 2023
What happens to your body in a car crash? You’re tossed about the interior of the car and could suffer fractures, a head injury, deep bruising, internal organ damage, or spinal cord injuries – or multiple injuries like these. The type of injury and its severity often depend on what kind of collision you were in.
If another driver caused the wreck, no matter what kind of crash it was, you could have grounds to file a claim against them with the help of a Chicago car accident lawyer.
After any crash: adrenaline rush
An adrenaline release is one of the first things that happens to your body during a car crash. Adrenaline is the “flight or fight” hormone, and it produces the following effects:
- Suppresses feelings of pain
- Increases energy levels
- Improves strength and stamina
Because adrenaline masks pain, you may not feel hurt when actually, you’re grievously injured. This is why having immediate medical care is necessary to diagnose hidden injuries.
Adrenaline may also make people emotional and angry, making the crash scene even more dangerous. This is another reason to call the police right away to manage the scene.
What happens in a rear-end collision?
Your seat absorbs a large amount of energy, forcing your body backward and forward. Your neck and head are especially vulnerable to whiplash injuries, overextension of the neck muscles.
Concussions are also common. As your head snaps back and forth, the brain collides with the interior of the skull, causing bruising, swelling, and bleeding, damaging brain tissue, sometimes permanently.
The spinal cord and back are also vulnerable. You could suffer a herniated disc, in which the padding between two vertebrae slips out of place or ruptures. This affects your ability to walk or may cause chronic pain and numbness.
What happens to the body in a car crash, head-on?
The faster you’re going, the more force you’ll have when you collide with another object. If both cars travel toward each other, the force is multiplied. For example, if both cars are going 45 mph when they collide, it’s with the force of an object going 90 mph. When you hit another vehicle head-on, the inertia suddenly ceases, which means all the force is transferred to the vehicle and your body.
Wearing a seatbelt can prevent you from smashing into the steering wheel or being forced through the windshield, but it’s not a 100% guarantee. Your airbags will likely deploy, so you could suffer facial damage. Flying glass can cause lacerations all over your face and upper body.
Even with a seatbelt, you could suffer internal injuries and internal bleeding, broken ribs or other fractures, or a collapsed lung. The force of the seatbelt against your body may contribute to these injuries. If you’re not wearing a seatbelt, you could be ejected from the vehicle or suffer more serious fractures or crushing injuries.
What happens to your body during a car crash, T-bone collision style?
A T-bone collision is when the front of one car hits the side of another. If you’re the driver struck from the side, you may have serious internal organ damage and broken bones. You won’t have the protection of an airbag on the side, and your vehicle won’t absorb much of the energy from the crash. Your body could be crushed, with pelvic, thorax, and upper body injuries a likely outcome.
An experienced Chicago car accident lawyer can help you after a crash
If you’ve been hurt in a wreck you didn’t cause, you deserve compensation for your injuries and losses. We can help you get that. Contact Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates today at (800) 985-1819 for a free consultation.
