According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Board, almost 40% of all car accidents are rear-enders. It is believe that more than 2.5 million rear-end auto accidents take place in the United States each year.
Living in California, we know what it’s like to experience bad traffic. Along with other variables such as aggressive drivers or weather, these can only exacerbate the problem of rear-end car accidents. Additionally, cell phones also can play a prominent role in this type of accident.
Causes of Rear-End Accidents
The main cause of a rear-end accident is usually because the at fault driver wasn’t paying close enough attention to the road. Common causes include:
Distracted driving such as talking on the phone, changing the radio, etc.
Failure to maintain a proper distance
Heavy traffic conditions
Poor weather
Fatigue
Drunk driving
Common Injuries from Rear-End Accidents
Neck Injury
This is the most common type of injury after suffering a rear-end crash. Because of the impact, the head and neck are forced forward then backward in the fraction of a second. This quick whipping movement can damage both the tissues holding the spine in place but also cause a more severe injury such as a herniating a disc.
It is often the case that the extent of a neck injury is unknown immediately after an accident. If you’ve gone to the ER after a crash, only x-rays are obtained. X-rays are used to determine whether a fracture occurred or not. However, most neck injuries from car accidents are soft tissue injuries where the muscles and tissues are damaged and don’t show up on an x-ray. Rehabilitation for soft tissue injuries is usually done by seeing a physical therapist, chiropractor, and massage therapist, or some combination thereof.
If there is a serious disc issue, this will likely not be determined until a CT scan or an MRI is conducted. Due to their expense, these will likely not be ordered unless the symptoms continue beyond a few weeks after your accident.
Fractures
High speed accidents can also lead to fractures in the body at various places. If there is a high disparity of speed at impact, is it more likely something will be broken. The most common auto accident fractures are the following:
Hands and feet
Spinal cord
Ribs
Skull
Head Injuries
These can be severe and even fatal. If you suspect anyone to have sustained a head injury, they should seek immediate medical action.
Symptoms of a head injury after an accident include:
Headaches
In and out of consciousness
Dizziness
Loss of memory
Trouble with speech
Changes in personality
We recommend seeking out medical attention from a neurologist if you’ve already received initial medical care and these symptoms persist.
What to do if You’re in a Rear-End Accident
Be sure to check out our Auto Accident Checklist on our website!
You’ll always want to seek prompt medical attention. Call 911.
Take photographs, get contact info from witnesses/other driver/insurance info
Contact your own insurance company to let them know about the accident (only give them facts, don’t place blame or say anything that may lead them to think you were at fault)
After you’ve tended to your injuries and set up medical care, contact a Sacramento auto accident attorney or San Diego accident attorney to help with your auto accident claim.
We offer FREE case evaluations and can be reached at (916) 619-5452. We have locations in both Sacramento and San Diego.
