Motor vehicle and road accidents account for a large number of personal injury claims and can result in significant financial expenses.
If you suffered any physical trauma, impairments or car accident injuries, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation. Even if you are partly at fault, you may still be able to make a claim.
So, what injuries can you get from a car accident and how do you claim for compensation? Read on. If in doubt, get in touch with one of our experienced car accident lawyers.
Common car accident injuries
- Brain, head and neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Back and spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue damage
- Internal bleeding
- Other personal injuries
Injury claims have different laws and limitation periods in every different state and territory in Australia.
For more information: personal injury claim time limits
Brain & head injuries
Brain and head injuries are the most common types of car accident injuries. They can range from relatively minor damages to the scalp and face, to more serious consequences involving permanent damage to the brain.
It is important to properly identify permanent and future problems caused by brain and head injuries so that you and your family members receive the best possible award for your personal injuries compensation claim.
Key considerations for serious brain and head injury claims:
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Future medical expenses in relation to injuries sustained in the accident
- Past economic loss such as loss of wages while recovering from the accident
- Future economic loss where the working life is reduced as a result of the injuries
- Lump sum compensation if there is a permanent impairment as a result of the injuries
- Lump sum compensation for pain and suffering
- Legal costs in relation to the claim for compensation
Learn more: compensation payout amounts
Car accident whiplash injuries
Generally, people who have been involved in a motor vehicle accident suffer some degree of ‘whiplash’. This presents as varying degrees of numbness, pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders. Treatment for whiplash includes rest, pain medication and physiotherapy.
Symptoms of Whiplash-Associated Disorder:
The symptoms of car accident whiplash are usually short term. However, if you’re experiencing serious pain and discomfort, your doctor may diagnose you with ‘Whiplash-Associated Disorder’ (WAD). Symptoms of this serious form of whiplash include:
- Lack of improvement since the time of the motor vehicle accident (chronic pain)
- Neck pain associated with movement of the head and/or limited range of motion and stiffness – to the point where you are experiencing difficulty in doing normal everyday tasks (e.g. turning your neck when parking your car)
- Arm numbness and weakness including pins and needles in the arm
- Nausea, drowsiness or confusion
Whiplash injury compensation
The amount of compensation depends on the severity of the whiplash injury and whether you have been diagnosed with WAD. However, if you are suffering from a mild whiplash injury, you may still be entitled to receive payment for your medical and rehabilitation expenses, any loss of wages and payment for legal expenses.
Please contact our experienced personal injury lawyers if you have any questions about high or mild whiplash claims.
Learn more: How to claim for whiplash after a car accident
Back injuries
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you may suffer from mild but persistent lower or upper back pain, or far more seriously, a traumatic spinal cord injury. You can lodge a claim for motor accident compensation if you are suffering from a back injury, so that your medical and rehabilitation expenses are paid by the concerned insurance company.
Symptoms of car accident back injury
If you have suffered a severe back injury in a car accident, the concerned doctor or medical specialist may diagnose the injury as a spinal cord injury. A spinal cord injury means that you have suffered a traumatic injury to your spinal cord resulting in temporary or permanent sensory or motor deficit or bladder/bowel dysfunction.
Learn more:
Back injury car accident compensation
If you have sustained a back injury as a result of a car crash, you can make a claim for back injury compensation. This compensation could be to cover the various medical costs and treatment expenses involved in a back injury. Some of these are expenses for:
- Medical attention
- Pain relief
- Medicine
- Physical therapies such as physiotherapy
- Surgery
- Retraining
- Physical aids
- Rehabilitation services
- Counselling
If you are suffering from one or multiple types of car accident injuries, Owen Hodge Lawyers can help you get maximum compensation payment for your medical treatment and to support your recovery and rehabilitation.
Feel free to contact our personal injury lawyers for legal advice in this matter.
More information about car accident injuries:
Car accident injuries FAQ
What is a serious injury in a car accident?
Serious car accident injuries can include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Injuries that require surgery
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Nerve injuries
- PTSD
What are minor injuries in a car accident?
Minor car accident issues could be:
- Mild whiplash
- Minor psychological injury
- Minor cuts, grazes and burns
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Frequently asked questions
Serious car accident injuries can include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Injuries that require surgery
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Nerve injuries
- PTSD
Minor car accident issues could be:
- Mild whiplash
- Minor psychological injury
- Minor cuts, grazes and burns