There are car accidents in Tampa every single day. While many are fortunate enough to call their accident a simple fender bender, so many others sustain injuries. You might get away with some minor scrapes and bruises, but accidents also cause life-threatening injuries. The kind of injuries that disrupt your life, keep you from doing things you love, and drain your bank account.
Get Help Immediately
If you have been injured in a car accident in Tampa, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Thanks to the adrenaline from impact, you may have injuries you aren’t aware of. First responders do well when it comes to providing emergency care, but hospitals have more tools for a full evaluation and treatment.
In 2018, there were a total of 29,037 accidents throughout Hillsborough County, resulting in 20,114 injuries and 176 deaths. At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, our Tampa car accident attorneys have over 20 years of experience helping injury victims get the compensation they deserve. In fact, we have recovered over $1 BILLION on behalf of our clients.
If you have suffered any of the below common injuries (or other injuries) as a result of a car accident, give us a call at (813) 553-5352. Or, contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Tampa car accident lawyer today.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are not unusual after a serious car accident. An estimated 20 percent of TBIs are caused by car accidents.
There are a few different TBIs you may be at risk of suffering after a wreck, but the most common is a concussion. Many concussions are minor, requiring no real medical treatment besides rest. However, moderate to severe concussions may require more serious treatment.
Other types of traumatic brain injuries are seen, but they are rarer. Open TBIs occur when the skull is cracked or fractured. You may also suffer from a variety of brain bleeds, a coma, or even death as a result of a collision.
Broken Bones
If speed is a factor in an accident, broken bones are to be expected. Broken bones in the arms, legs, and hands are common. Unfortunately, breaks and fractures can require months of rehabilitation, or at the very least, weeks on end in a cast.
What’s more, if your airbag deploys, the bones in your face could break due to the impact. Even if your airbag doesn’t deploy, your face could hit your steering wheel or dashboard, causing fractures. Fractured face bones may require surgery and other treatments to completely heal, and even then, you may never look the same.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries may be minor, leading to a few days of pain and inconvenience, or they could impact you for the rest of your life. Such injuries can be complete, meaning they eliminate all feeling and function below the spot of the injury, or incomplete, meaning you retain some sensation and function.
You may also suffer from vertebrae fractures, bruising, compression, and more. Wherever your injury happens, the area below it will be affected. For instance, if your spinal cord injury is in your lower back, your legs and pelvic organs may be affected (paraplegia). But if the injury is in your neck, your entire body could be paralyzed (tetraplegia).
Back and Neck Injuries
These types of injuries are separate from spinal cord injuries. They can include strained or torn muscles, contusions, and more. They’re classified as soft tissue injuries, which affect the connective tissue in your body. One of the most common types of soft tissue injuries in the back and neck is whiplash.
Whiplash occurs when the head suddenly moves forward and then snaps back. While this type of injury isn’t fatal, it can have a major impact on your life. You may suffer from headaches, nausea, limited mobility, and more, which can affect your ability to work and perform other daily duties.
Broken Ribs and Internal Injuries
It’s not uncommon to suffer from bruised or broken ribs after a car accident in Tampa. These injuries may lead to trouble breathing, discomfort, and more. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot that doctors can do to heal broken ribs; they simply need to heal on their own. However, caution and medical monitoring are critical, as broken ribs can lead to worse issues.
Specifically, broken ribs can puncture internal organs, especially the lungs. This could cause serious, if not life-threatening, issues. Broken ribs could also puncture your heart, liver and other vital organs. If you believe you have broken a rib, you must seek medical attention immediately.
Cuts and Scrapes
Even in minor car accidents, you may suffer from cuts, scrapes, and bruises. In most cases, these injuries aren’t worth worrying about, especially if they’re treated immediately. However, some scrapes may be so severe that you need skin grafts and other medical interventions. In addition, deep cuts may require stitches.
Bruising is also typically minor, but depending on the severity and location of the bruise, it can lead to discomfort and the inability to perform daily functions. However, deep bruising in the abdomen could be indicative of internal bleeding, which is a serious medical issue.
Get the Help You Deserve from a Tampa Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve suffered serious injuries in an accident, you may have piles of medical bills while you’re unable to work. That means you could suddenly find yourself in a hole of debt that you aren’t sure how to get out of. The good news is, you have legal options after a car wreck.
At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, we can help you get the compensation you deserve. In fact, we have recovered over $1 BILLION on behalf of our clients. Give us a call at (813) 553-5352 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Tampa car accident lawyer today.