Common Injuries From Houston Car Accidents
In 2019–2020, the U.S. recorded over 3.8 million emergency room visits for car accident injuries. The treatment for these injuries ranged from first aid for minor cuts and bruises to hospital admissions for brain damage and other catastrophic injuries.
Motor vehicle collisions injured or killed tens of thousands of motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists in Houston, TX. An undefeated personal injury attorney from Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers can identify all of your options for compensation if you get hurt in a car crash.
Contact our Houston car accident lawyers for a free consultation to learn more. You can call us at (888) 603-3636
Table of Contents
- How Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Houston, TX
- How Many People Suffer Injuries in Houston Car Accidents?
- Common Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents in Houston, Texas
- Schedule a Free Initial Consultation With Our Undefeated Houston Car Accident Lawyers
How Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Houston, TX
Since 2006, Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers has fought for injured clients in Houston, Texas. Our firm has recovered over $1 billion in compensation for accident victims. Our record-setting Houston car accident lawyers have secured some of the largest settlements and trial verdicts in the state’s history.
If you suffer an injury in a crash, our attorneys can provide the following:
- A free consultation to review your case and advise you of your options
- A thorough investigation of your collision
- Aggressive negotiation to settle your case quickly and fairly
- Undefeated litigators to take your case to court if it does not settle
A car accident can cause injuries that disable or even kill. Contact Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to learn how we recover compensation for accident victims and their families.
How Many People Suffer Injuries in Houston Car Accidents?
Houston is the most populous city in Texas and has more traffic crashes than any other city in the state.
Houston had 67,386 traffic accidents in 2022, including:
- 308 fatal crashes
- 20,921 non-fatal injury crashes
As a result of these crashes, 31,147 people suffered injury or death, including the following:
- 326 fatalities
- 1,563 incapacitating injuries that required an ambulance
- 7,621 minor injuries that were visible but non-incapacitating
- 21,637 possible injuries that caused symptoms but no visible wounds
Accident victims suffer a wide range of injuries. Many of these injuries require medical treatment and therapy. Even after receiving medical help, many crash victims are left dealing with long-term or permanent disabilities.
Read on to learn more about car accident fatalities and other car crash statistics in Houston.
Common Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents in Houston, Texas
Car accidents involve powerful forces. During an accident, your body continues moving in the same direction and at the same speed as before the crash. It does not stop until it hits something. The impact between your body and your seat belt, steering wheel, seat, or door can cause blunt force trauma. Shattered glass or torn metal can cause penetrating injuries.
You can also suffer injuries from the whipping forces even when your body does not hit anything. These forces stretch and twist your body unnaturally, damaging the tissues.
Some common car accident injuries include:
Soft Tissue Injuries
Your body has many soft tissues that give it strength and structure. Muscles give your body strength. Tendons attach muscles to your skeleton. Ligaments hold your skeleton together. Cartilage lines your joints to cushion and lubricate them.
The forces you experience as your body whips around during a crash can hyperextend and compress these tissues. They can tear and deform under the stress.
Some soft tissue injuries you can suffer in a car accident include:
- Muscle or tendon strains
- Ligament sprains
- Torn joint cartilage
These injuries cause pain and inflammation. They limit your mobility and may even require surgery. Unfortunately, some soft tissue injuries, like torn cartilage, may never fully heal.
Fractured Bones
Bones can fracture when they experience impacts, bending forces, and twisting forces.
Doctors characterize fractured bones in three ways:
- Displaced or non-displaced, based on whether the bone fragments remain aligned
- Open or closed, based on whether the bone produced an open wound
- Nature, such as the number or shape of the fragments produced
For example, suppose that a bone breaks into two pieces across its axis and moves far enough to break the skin. This fracture is an open, displaced transverse fracture.
Simple fractures typically heal in six to eight weeks. Shattered bones that require reconstructive surgery may require a year or longer to heal.
Brain Injuries
The shaking your brain endures during a car crash can damage its cells.
Some possible brain injuries include:
- Concussions
- Cerebral contusions
- Diffuse axonal injuries (DAIs)
- Subdural hematomas
Your brain controls everything in your body, including your movement, automatic functions, thoughts, and emotions.
As a result, a brain injury can produce:
- Paralysis
- Loss of sensation
- Muscle spasms
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Emotional outbursts
- Changes in personality
Some brain injuries produce permanent disabilities. Brain damage can even cause a coma or death.
Spine Injuries
Car crashes are notorious for causing neck and back injuries. When your body whips around during a collision, your spine hyperextends and compresses. These forces can herniate discs or fracture vertebrae.
The risk of spine injuries comes from the possibility of nerve damage. A fractured vertebra can dislocate and sever the spinal cord, producing permanent paralysis. Even a herniated disc can compress nerve roots, leading to radiating pain and muscle weakness.
Schedule a Free Initial Consultation With Our Undefeated Houston Car Crash Lawyers
Car accident injuries can produce pain, limits on your mobility, and even permanent disabilities. Contact the Houston car crash lawyers at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation to discuss your injuries and how we can fight for financial compensation.
We handle all types of car accident claims, including:
- Distracted driving accidents
- DUI accidents
- Head-on-crashes
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Rear-end crashes
- Speeding accidents