Common Injuries After Car Accidents In Indiana

Drivers, passengers, and pedestrians often face significant injuries after car accidents. Many accident survivors also experience severe mental and emotional trauma, as well as a whole host of physical injuries. In some cases, injuries persist for a long time or become chronic conditions. Some people never fully recover from their injuries after a car accident.

Although some car accident injuries tend to be more common than others, no two accidents are alike, and it is possible that you could suffer a more unusual or debilitating injury. You should always seek immediate medical care after a car crash. If your injuries require long-term recovery, you should have regular visits with your doctor to keep your medical records up to date and accurate. These records are necessary to prove damages in a subsequent lawsuit.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

Physical Injuries After Indiana Car Accidents

There are numerous physical injuries possible in a car accident. The extent of your injuries depends on how your accident happened. Other factors like whether you were wearing a seatbelt and how fast you or the other driver was going are also considered.

Injuries common in car accidents include many of the following:

Head injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Neck and back injuries
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Scarring or disfigurement
Loss of limbs
Dental injuries
Broken bones
Lacerations and cuts
Soft tissue injuries
Whiplash

These injuries can be extreme and might come with long-term complications. Some car accident survivors are left with permanent damage while others tragically succumb to their injuries, and a wrongful death lawsuit might be necessary.

Many common injuries from a car accident include soft tissue injuries. Soft tissues include parts of your body like muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, skin, blood vessels, and connective tissues. These are different than hard tissues like bone. People often overlook soft tissue damage like bruising and sprains because these are so common. Even so, these injuries should not be disregarded and can be quite devastating in severe accident cases.

Mental And Emotional Injuries After Car Accidents In Indiana

Car accident survivors often experience many mental and emotional problems after a car accident. These injuries are inherently invisible, and many survivors do not realize they are experiencing emotional anguish or trauma. After a car accident, you should consider seeing a mental health professional to discuss your feelings and determine if you are suffering from any psychological trauma or post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Common mental and emotional injuries experienced after a car accident include the following:

Depression
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Mood swings
Insomnia

The mental and emotional injuries suffered after a car accident can last for a long time. Many people spend years recovering from such traumatic events. These injuries might not reveal themselves until some time after the accident, and accident survivors should be on the lookout for any symptoms of psychological harm.

Death After Car Accidents In Indiana

Death is not uncommon in car accidents. Multiple drivers, passengers, or pedestrians could be killed in particularly bad accidents. Victims are sometimes killed almost instantly and pronounced dead at the accident scene. Others might make it to the hospital only to succumb to their injuries later.

The family of a car accident victim who passes away from their injuries can file a wrongful death lawsuit. This allows them to claim the damages the deceased person could have claimed themselves in an injury lawsuit had they survived. According to Indiana Code § 34-23-1-1, you have 2 years to file a wrongful death claim. An Indianapolis personal injury attorney can help you begin your claims.

A survival action is brought by close family members of the deceased person for the damages and injuries incurred by their loved one before they died. The pain and suffering of the deceased person is a common example of survival action damages. This case is usually filed alongside a wrongful death action. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 34-11-7-1, the lawsuit for personal injuries suffered by the deceased person pass from the deceased to their family. The family then has the right to bring a lawsuit within 18 months of the person’s death. However, the person must have passed away before the expiration of the relevant statute of limitations for their injuries.

Damages For Injuries After Car Accidents In Indiana

Assessing damages after a car accident can be challenging, especially when injuries are extensive. Some injuries come with specific pre-determined costs. For example, a medical bill for an emergency room visit has a specific dollar amount. That amount can be added to your damages. Other injuries do not have an exact monetary value, and it is up to you and your attorney to determine what these injuries are worth and present that claim to the court.

Determining economic damages is a bit simpler than non-economic damages. For economic damages, you must add up the amount of money you have spent or lost because of your injuries. Bills, invoices, receipts, and other monetary expenses should be considered. The important thing is to be very thorough in your calculations to avoid missing any expenses.

Non-economic damages are more subjective. For example, pain and suffering are common non-economic damages, and everybody may experience pain and suffering differently. Your attorney can help you assess these damages by evaluating how they have impacted your daily life. Many car accident survivors are completely incapacitated by physical pain or mental anguish, and these damages should be compensated.

How Do I Know If I Should Sue For My Car Accident Injuries In Indiana?

After a car accident, it is important to discuss your legal options with an experienced car accident attorney. While filing a lawsuit is certainly an option, many plaintiffs are wary about such a significant undertaking. One important consideration that may help you decide what to do is the issue of damages. What are your damages? Are they extensive or relatively minimal? Does insurance cover any of your damages? If you find yourself in dire financial straits after a car accident, you should consider filing a lawsuit to get compensation.

Even if you are not in a bad financial situation after a car accident, you might still want to sue to hold the other person accountable. Even if you can afford your injuries, you should not have to pay the price for someone else’s negligent behavior. By filing a lawsuit, plaintiffs get their day in court to hold wrongdoers responsible for their injuries.