How Many Car Accident Can Cause Big Problems
When we think of a serious car accident, most people think of high-speed collisions, trucking wrecks, and rollovers. Most people do not think of fender benders, rear end collisions, or sideswipes. This is why after a minor collision the participants may decide to not call the police or not get medically evaluated. Other individuals may believe that a minor pain or ache at the scene of a car accident is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. While this is sometimes true, our Tampa Bay car accident lawyers at Dumas & Sanclemente know this is not always the case.
Yes, minor car accidents can cause very serious personal injuries. Sometimes these injuries are not immediately obvious and can take days, weeks, or months to manifest themselves. Unfortunately, victims who have not taken the crash seriously may have a difficult road to both recovery and a successful claim under Florida law.
Common Examples of Minor Car Accidents in Florida
There are many ways that a minor car accident could be caused by the reckless or careless actions of another driver. Sometimes the inconvenience is just a dent or abrasion of a vehicle panel, while other times it is a temporary headache. But there are instances where even a minor, low-impact collision could cause big problems for victims.
Some of the most common examples of minor crashes that could cause big injuries to include the following:
- Sideswipe accidentsthat ricochet off and do not cause a direct impact, but still a violent rocking movement
- Rear end collisionsthat cause a person’s head to whip back-and-forth violently causing whiplash or even a more serious traumatic brain injury known as a coup-contrecoup injury
- Parking lot accidentstypically result in one vehicle’s momentum being struck by a vehicle going in another direction
- Striking a pedestrianeven at a low speed could break bones and propel a victim into the pavement
- Backing out crashes when another vehicle is backed into and a victim is not expecting the collision or bracing for impact
- T-bone collisionsare always dangerous even at a low speed because the heavy front end (engine block) of one vehicle is colliding into the thin side panel of another vehicle
- Motorcycle taps or bicyclist tapscould also be devastating because even a minor tap could launch a rider off a bike and into the pavement, and
- Other types of collisions could appear minor but cause disabling injuries.
Common Injuries in Minor Collisions
Our Tampa Bay car accident lawyers know that even minor collisions could result in serious injuries. The two most common injuries in minor collisions could all result in debilitating surgery and permanent disability or range of motion restrictions. These three injuries include the following:
Brachial Plexus Injuries
The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves that originates from your cervical spine (neck vertebrae) and extends to your shoulder girdle then down to your fingertips. These nerves can be injured in even a minor collision because of the way a seatbelt can pull and yank at the shoulder girdle. This could cause nerves in the neck or below the shoulder to stretch and even tear. As a result, victims could lose sensation or motor function either temporarily or permanently. This decrease could be minor, moderate, severe, or a complete loss of sensation or function.
Whiplash Injuries
A violent back-and-forth motion of the head and neck is called whiplash. This is a type of soft tissue injury that can cause damage to the nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues around the spinal column and at the base of the head. Some injuries can cause impingement on nerves that result in excruciating pain in the neck or back.
Other types of whiplash injuries can actually occur inside the skull when the brain violently slides forwards and backward. This is because the brain is suspended in cerebral spinal fluid to cushion a powerful impact, but it can also cause the brain to move and strike the inside of the hard skull causing damage. This type of injury is known as a coup-contrecoup brain injury and can be very dangerous because it could increase intracranial pressure that could result in a permanent brain injury.
Injuries to Children in Minor Collisions
Even if you believed that a collision was minor, if you have children in the vehicle it could be another story for them. Even low-speed or low-impact collisions could be significantly more devastating for children. Although their bones are generally considered more flexible than adults, children are susceptible to soft tissue or nerve injuries like brachial plexus injuries. Children could also have damage to growth plates or other parts of their body that rattle around during a collision which could result in significant, long-term damages.
Injured in a Minor Collision in Tampa Bay? We Can Help
There is no such thing as a minor collision when a person is physically injured. But insurance adjusters will do everything in their power to further minimize the force of the collision to undervalue your damages claim. At Dumas & Sanclemente, we will not let that happen. Learn how our Tampa Bay car accident lawyers can fight back to protect your rights under Florida law by dialing (844) 400-2667 to schedule your FREE case review. You could also use our message box at the bottom of our contact us page available here.