10 Most Common Car Accident Injuries

The Short Answer…

Common car accident injuries include whiplash, concussions, broken bones, back and neck pain, spinal cord trauma, and internal bleeding. These injuries can range from mild to life-altering, often with symptoms that don’t appear until days after the crash.

This article explains the most common injuries from car accidents, how to recognize them, what compensation you may be entitled to under Texas law, and why working with an experienced car accident lawyer can make a significant difference in your recovery and your claim.

Key Takeaways

• Many injuries show delayed symptoms: Conditions like whiplash, internal bleeding, or brain trauma may not present right away, making early medical evaluation crucial even if you feel fine after the crash.
• Psychological injuries are valid and compensable: Trauma like PTSD or anxiety is a real consequence of car crashes and should be taken just as seriously as physical harm when seeking treatment and legal compensation.
• Minor crashes can still cause major injuries: Don’t dismiss soreness or stiffness after a low-speed collision. What seems minor could become chronic or disabling over time.
• You may be entitled to compensation beyond medical bills: Damages can include lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, disfigurement, and more.
• Working with a skilled attorney increases your chances of full compensation: Braker White offers experience, results, and personalized guidance with no upfront costs.

1. Whiplash and Neck Injuries

Whiplash is the most common injury in a car accident, especially in rear-end collisions. It occurs when the neck is rapidly forced backward and then forward. This sudden movement stretches and tears the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck and upper back.

• Symptoms: Stiffness, soreness, reduced range of motion, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Some individuals may also experience tingling or numbness in the arms and shoulders.
• Delayed onset: Symptoms might not appear immediately. In many cases, pain or stiffness begins 12–72 hours after the crash.
• Severity: While many whiplash cases resolve within a few weeks, more severe cases can cause lasting discomfort, including chronic neck pain, restricted mobility, or nerve damage.

Is whiplash serious? Yes, it can be. If left untreated, whiplash can contribute to long-term pain, spinal misalignment, or post-traumatic stress. Always seek medical attention after a crash, even if symptoms are mild or delayed.

2. Back Injuries and Spinal Cord Trauma

The back is especially vulnerable in car accidents due to the intense force that often occurs during a collision. Back injuries can vary in severity from temporary discomfort to permanent disability.

• Sprains and Strains: Often caused by overstretching or tearing of the muscles and ligaments in the back. These injuries can result in pain, stiffness, and difficulty with movement or standing for extended periods.
• Herniated or Slipped Discs: The impact from a crash can cause spinal discs to bulge or rupture. This puts pressure on nearby nerves, often resulting in sharp pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs.
• Lumbar and Thoracic Vertebrae Fractures: Sudden impact can fracture the vertebrae in the middle or lower spine. Left untreated, vertebral fractures can lead to spinal instability and chronic pain.
• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): One of the worst car accident injuries, SCIs occur when the spinal cord is bruised, compressed, or severed. These injuries can cause partial or complete paralysis below the injury site and are often permanent.

3. Head and Brain Injuries

These injuries often occur when a person’s head strikes the steering wheel, dashboard, side window, or even airbags during a collision. Even in cases where there is no direct impact, the violent shaking of the brain inside the skull can cause significant damage.

• Concussions: A mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head. While called “mild,” concussions can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, confusion, and sensitivity to light or noise. In some cases, symptoms may last for weeks or even months (known as post-concussion syndrome).
• Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries: These injuries can cause permanent brain damage, coma, or death. Victims may experience loss of consciousness, seizures, slurred speech, profound confusion, mood disturbances, or problems with coordination and memory.
• Skull Fractures: Cracks or breaks in the skull bones can be accompanied by bleeding, bruising around the eyes or ears, and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. Skull fractures increase the risk of brain infection and pressure buildup inside the skull.
• Cognitive and Behavioral Changes: TBIs often result in personality changes, memory problems, depression, anxiety, or difficulty concentrating. These effects can be long-lasting and may significantly reduce quality of life, relationships, and employment opportunities.

Head injuries often show delayed symptoms such as confusion, mood swings, sleep disturbances, or short-term memory loss. Always seek medical care even if you feel “fine” after hitting your head.

4. Broken Bones and Fractures

Fractures and broken bones can occur when the body is forcefully thrown against hard surfaces like the steering wheel, door, dashboard, or seatbelt.

Common fracture sites include:

• Arms and wrists, often injured when bracing for impact
• Legs and ankles, frequently hurt in front-end or side-impact collisions
• Ribs and sternum, typically fractured due to seatbelt restraint or airbag deployment
• Pelvis and hips, particularly common in rollover accidents or crashes involving older adults

5. Internal Injuries and Bleeding

Internal injuries from car accidents are some of the most dangerous and potentially fatal because they may not be immediately visible. These injuries can occur even when there are no external signs of trauma. The blunt force from a seatbelt, steering wheel, or deployed airbag can cause damage deep inside the body, often without immediate symptoms.

Common internal injuries include:

• Organ damage: The liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs are especially vulnerable.
• Internal bleeding: Blood vessels can tear or burst, leading to hidden bleeding in the chest, abdomen, or brain. This is often indicated by symptoms like dizziness, low blood pressure, abdominal swelling, deep bruising, or even unconsciousness.
• Pneumothorax (collapsed lung): Caused by a broken rib puncturing the lung, this condition can make breathing extremely difficult and is life-threatening without urgent care.
• Hemothorax: The accumulation of blood in the chest cavity can compress the lungs and heart, compromising respiratory and cardiovascular function.
• Brain hemorrhage: When the brain bleeds internally due to a traumatic brain injury, symptoms may include confusion, nausea, loss of consciousness, or seizures.

Internal injuries are often labeled as “hidden injuries” because they don’t always manifest outwardly. If left untreated, internal injuries can result in shock, organ failure, or death. This is why it’s critical to seek medical attention immediately after any collision, even if you feel okay.

6. Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries affect the body’s connective tissues (muscles, ligaments, and tendons) and can result from even low-speed collisions. Despite being classified as “non-catastrophic,” these injuries can be painful, long-lasting, and disruptive to daily life.

Types of soft tissue injuries:

• Sprains: Stretched or torn ligaments (e.g., ankles, knees, wrists)
• Strains: Injury to muscles or tendons, often in the back or neck
• Contusions (bruises): Bleeding under the skin due to blunt force trauma

Soft tissue injuries may not show up on X-rays, which is why thorough diagnostics and medical documentation are key to both recovery and legal claims.

7. Burns, Lacerations, and Road Rash

Burns and surface injuries are common in violent crashes, especially those involving fires, airbag deployment, or ejection from the vehicle. These injuries can range from minor to life-threatening and may leave permanent physical scars.

• Burns: Caused by hot metal, steam, chemicals, or fire. Classified by degree:
  • First-degree: Superficial, red skin
  • Second-degree: Blistering and pain
  • Third-degree: Deep tissue damage, requiring surgical intervention
• Lacerations and deep cuts: Often caused by shattered glass, metal, or flying debris. They may require stitches, surgery, or skin grafts, and leave long-term scarring or disfigurement.
• Road rash: An abrasion caused by the body sliding across pavement.

8. Facial Injuries and Scarring

The face is especially vulnerable in a crash, with injuries commonly resulting from airbag deployment, windshield impact, or broken glass.

Types of facial injuries:

• Fractures of the nose, cheekbones, jaw, or orbital bones
• Lacerations and abrasions on the face and scalp
• Dental trauma, including broken or knocked-out teeth
• Eye injuries from debris or pressure changes

9. Limb Injuries and Amputation

Crashes involving high speed, rollovers, or crushed vehicle compartments can result in severe injuries to the arms, legs, hands, and feet. These injuries often cause lifelong physical limitations and require extensive rehabilitation.

Common limb injuries:

• Compound fractures that pierce the skin
• Crush injuries that damage muscle, nerves, and bone
• Severe lacerations or degloving injuries
• Joint dislocations of the shoulder, knee, elbow, or hip
• Amputation: In extreme cases, a limb may need to be surgically removed due to infection, nerve damage, or irreparable trauma. This results in permanent disability and profound changes to a person’s life.

10. Psychological Injuries

Not all car accident injuries are physical. Psychological trauma is real, disabling, and too often ignored. Victims may suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

Common emotional and mental health symptoms:

• Flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia
• Avoidance of driving or being in vehicles
• Hypervigilance or exaggerated startle responses
• Loss of interest in daily activities or social withdrawal

Psychological injuries can take weeks or months to surface but may last a lifetime if untreated. These are just as deserving of compensation as physical harm.

Compensation for Car Accident Injuries

If you’re hurt in a wreck, you may be eligible to receive compensation for:

• Medical Expenses: Covers the cost of hospital stays, emergency care, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and any ongoing medical treatment related to your injuries.
• Lost Wages: Compensation for income lost while you’re unable to work due to your injuries, including future lost earnings if your ability to work is permanently affected.
• Pain and Suffering: Financial recovery for the physical pain and emotional distress you experience as a result of the accident and your injuries.
• Disability or Disfigurement: Additional compensation for permanent physical impairments or visible scarring that impacts your quality of life or daily functioning.
• Mental Health Treatment: Reimbursement for therapy, counseling, or psychiatric care required to treat conditions like PTSD, anxiety, or depression resulting from the crash.

The qualified car accident attorneys at Braker White can help you pursue the full compensation you may be entitled to, especially if you’re dealing with bad injuries from a car accident or face long-term recovery. Reach out today for a free consultation to see what your case may be worth.

Car Accident Injury FAQs

Turn to Braker White After a Car Accident Injury

We understand how overwhelming life can be after a crash. At Braker White, our trusted car accident lawyers in Odessa and Midland bring:

• Experience: We’ve handled hundreds of injury cases across Texas.
• Compassion: We treat our clients like family and fight for their rights.
• Results: We pursue maximum compensation for every client.
• No upfront fees: We work on contingency, so you only pay us if we win for you.

If you’ve suffered injuries from a car accident, we’re here to help you every step of the way. We’ll help you understand your rights, file a strong claim, and fight for every dollar you may be entitled to.

Don’t let an injury derail your future. Contact us today for a free case evaluation and take the first step towards recovery.