Common Rear-End Car Accident Injuries

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rear-end collisions are the most common form of car accidents. These crashes result in a substantial number of fatalities and injuries each year.

The medical and legal community know the potential seriousness of rear-end collisions, even those that can seem relatively minor.

The Most Common Causes of Rear-End Collisions

Distracted driving has overtaken driving under the influence as the single most dangerous activity behind the wheel, leading to an increasing spike in traffic accidents. Distracted driving is of particular concern when it comes to rear-end collisions. A driver is distracted by a cell phone, a passenger, the navigation system, or radio and fails to notice a car stopping in front of them.

Other common causes include:

• Driving while under the influence—drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs have slower reaction times. The sluggish reaction times result in failing to react to stopped or slower traffic, resulting in a rear-end collision.
• Aggressive driving—aggressive driving maneuvers, including speeding, tailgating, cutting in front of another vehicle, and following too closely, can all result in a rear-end collision. As these events can take place at higher rates of speed, aggressive driving accidents can be particularly dangerous.
• Weather conditions—icy roadways, snow, heavy rain, or standing water- can make it more challenging to bring a vehicle to a controlled stop.
• alling asleep at the wheel—drivers who are fatigued often have impaired judgment and are at risk of falling asleep at the wheel. This can result in rear-ending another vehicle.

Whether you are the front vehicle or the rear, it is essential that you practice safe driving habits and wear your seatbelt at all times. Avoiding rear-end collisions is not always possible, but you can reduce your chance of a serious injury by staying aware of your surroundings, the road conditions, and using your seatbelt at all times.

The Most Common Injuries Resulting from Rear-End Crashes

Insurance companies commonly refer to rear-end collisions as fender-benders, which usually means the vehicles' resulting damage was minor. Because of the unique mechanisms of rear-end collisions, however, even fender benders can result in injuries. The following are the most common examples of injuries seen after rear-end crashes.

Whiplash is the most common injury associated with rear-end accidents. Whiplash is a broad term describing injuries to the neck's soft tissues, such as strains or sprains of tendons or ligaments. Tears of the tendons or ligaments can also happen. Whiplash is caused by a violent forward and back motion of the neck, such as what you expect from someone who has been rear-ended or a vehicle coming to a violent stop.

Whiplash is not always immediately felt in the aftermath of an accident. It can often take hours to days to manifest, so if you find your neck becoming more stiff or sore after an accident, you should always have it checked by a medical professional. Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Neck pain that worsens with movement
• Headaches
• Tenderness in the neck, shoulders, and upper arms
• Numbness in the arms
• Dizziness

The bones of the neck can also be affected by a rear-end collision. These injuries are more serious than whiplash and can result in anything from an extended time in a neck brace to invasive spinal surgery. If you have severe pain, difficulty turning your head, or any loss of sensation in the arms or hands after a rear-end collision, it is a medical emergency, and you should seek treatment immediately.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when the brain strikes the interior of the skull. It can happen from the severe back and forth movement when rear-ended or from the head striking the steering wheel or other apparatus in the car. Even with an airbag, it is possible to sustain a TBI when the head slams back into the window or the back of their seat.

Brain injuries can range from a mild concussion to catastrophic damage to the brain, so if you struck your head, have a headache, vision impairment, nausea, vomiting, or loss of consciousness after a car accident, it is essential that you seek emergency medical treatment. Even if the symptoms manifest hours after the accident, make sure and let your medical provider know that you were involved in a car accident.

The back consists of a complex system of parts that are easily injured during a rear-end collision. Muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues can all sustain damage. The injuries can also range in severity from minor soreness to paralysis. Back injuries can result in a significant disruption in everyday life as you may be unable to work or care for your family.

Back injuries can include sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments, and soft tissue. It can also include fractured vertebrae or herniated disc. A herniated disc happens when the gel-like substance inside a disc leaks out and presses against nerves resulting in radiating pain. Herniated discs are common in both the neck and the lumbar spine.

Treatments range from rest and anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, or surgery in more severe cases. Pain, stiffness, inability to bend or move normally, a loss of sensation in the buttocks or legs, or the inability to move your legs can all be warning signs something is wrong.

Back injuries can take time to heal. The healing process can involve the need for rest, limitations on lifting, limitations on bending, and the inability to work until the injury has healed.

Spinal cord injuries have the potential to permanently disable those involved in a rear-end collision. Car accidents are among the most common causes of traumatic injury to the spinal cord and have a tendency to affect a younger segment of the population. Those between the ages of 20-39 have the highest chance of sustaining a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident.

The spinal cord carries nerve signals to the rest of the body, and damage to the spine can be transient and reversible or catastrophic and permanent. The tissue of the spine is delicate and can be damaged by a number of mechanisms in a rear-end accident.

Airbags can break bones in the hands, arms, or face. Legs and knees can be broken from an impact with the dashboard. Any number of other bones can be broken in a rear-end collision, depending on factors such as the make and model of the vehicles involved and the rate of speed at the time of the collision.

Broken bones can be a painful but relatively minor inconvenience or require extensive surgery and leave a lasting impairment. Open fractures, also known as compound fractures, happen when the bone breaks through the skin. These types of fractures are particularly dangerous as they put the patient at significant risk for dangerous infections.

Other Concerns From Rear-End Car Accidents

Rear-end accidents can result in other injuries not listed above. Injuries can be immediately evident, or they can reveal themselves later. Insurance companies are skilled at finding ways not to pay or underpay those injured in an accident. If you were injured in a rear-end accident, it is always a good idea to consult with a personal injury attorney about your rights to recover damages you sustained.