According to the California Highway Patrol, for the year 2008 there were 246 fatalities and another 13, 527 injuries sustained in car accidents in San Diego County. If you have been involved in a car accident, it is likely that you have suffered physical injuries as a result of the accident. Car accident injuries can be anything from minor scrapes and bruises to serious, life threatening or fatal injuries. Personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates in California says that while every car accident is unique, there are certain injuries that show up more frequently than others in car accident victims.
One of the more serious types of injuries is a spinal cord injury. Vehicular accidents account for almost 40% of all spinal cord injuries in the United States each year. Spinal cord injuries result in 52% of the victims becoming paraplegic and 47% ending up as a quadriplegic. Estimates are that the lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury can be anywhere from half a million dollars to 1.5 million dollars. Those, of course, are just the financial costs. The emotional cost of a spinal cord injury can be much higher.
Back injuries are another common car accident injury. A back injury frequently presents itself as a herniated disc. A herniated disc injury can happen when the stress put on the spinal column in a car collision causes a piece of the spinal structure (called a disc) that separates your back bones or vertebrae, to move out of place. These injuries are sometimes also called slipped or ruptured discs. These disc structures can push out into the spinal channel and press against spinal nerves, producing severe back, neck and leg pain. A herniated disc may require months of therapy or even surgery to repair.
Brain injuries can also be caused as a result of a car accident. Statistics tell us that about 30% of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by car accidents. A severe brain injury can cost over four million dollars in medical care over a lifetime. Some brain injury victims are able to heal entirely with no lasting effects; however the majority of traumatic brain injury victims will live with effects of the injury for the rest of their lives.
Whiplash is undoubtedly the most common injury suffered in a car accident. Many car accident victims think that they did not suffer any effects of an accident, only to wake up the next day with a stiff neck and excruciating pain. The term “whiplash injury” describes damage to both the bone structures and soft tissues, while “whiplash associated disorders” describes a more severe and chronic condition. Most people are able to recover from a whiplash injury relatively quickly, but it is possible to having lasting pain and discomfort for months after a whiplash injury.
If you have been involved in a San Diego car accident and feel that you have suffered these, or any other, injuries as a result of another driver’s negligence, then you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Seek the advice and guidance of a San Diego personal injury lawyer as soon as possible for a confidential evaluation of your case. San Diego personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates is available to answer any questions you may have and advise you on how best to proceed with your case. He can be contacted online at www.ledgerlaw.com or at 1-800-300-0001.
