Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
Many people are amazed to learn of the numerous auto, truck and motorcycle injuries that occur every week here in Maryland. Throughout the state, as well as in the District of Columbia, we read and hear about dozens upon dozens of traffic and other injury accidents that happen every month as the result of another person’s negligence or just plain thoughtlessness. Many of these injuries are bad enough to require hospitalization and some may lead to permanent disability on the part of the victim.
Being Maryland automobile and trucking-accident lawyers, we know that there is no easy solution to eliminating the amount of accidents, save a total ban on driving. Of course, this would not even be a practical solution. Because of this, the next best thing would include education and awareness of the dangers of car and truck crashes. (And let’s not forget those individuals who are injured or killed in pedestrian accidents, including bicycle-car collisions.
As auto accident and personal injury lawyers, every day we see the results of car and truck crashes. Many automobile collisions are not fatal, however they can cause serious and long-term injuries to vehicle occupants, as well as pedestrians and onlookers. Scrapes and bruises, cuts and minor contusions are the least serious, but in high-speed or head-on crashes, head, neck and back injury can easily occur. Safety belts and airbags certainly help, but even these safety devices can’t always be counted on to fully protect victims of Maryland traffic accidents.
Severe Injuries to the Head
When it comes to a head injury, sometimes referred to as traumatic brain injury or TBI, more than one million individuals sustain some kind of TBI annually as a result of a traffic wreck. Many traumatic brain injuries are caused a jolt or a blow to the head, not at all uncommon in a medium- to high-speed car or trucking-related accidents. The impact energy received by a person’s head from such a crash can disrupt the brain’s function to the extent that some serious concussions can easily lead to severe brain damage, a coma, or even death.
What’s more disconcerting is that statistics have shown that about five million people all across our nation are currently living with disabilities caused by a TBI incident. The leading causes of traumatic brain injuries include motor vehicle crashes, motorcycle or bicycle accidents, slips and falls. When such accidents occur due to another person’s negligence this may be cause for a possible legal suit. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help in such cases by working with neuropsychiatrists and neurologists, physical and occupational therapists, and other specialists to better evaluate your case.
Spinal Cord Injury
Car accidents can also result in serious back and neck injuries. Anyone who can walk away from a high-speed truck or car crash can count themselves lucky, however it is possible to sustain a spinal cord injury in such accidents, the effects of which could remain with you for months or years to come.
The most common types of spinal cord injuries (also known as SCIs) are the compression type as well as the contusion type. A compression injury to a person’s back can cause excess pressure on the individual’s spinal column, including the flexible discs separating the individual vertebrae. A contusion type of injury can result in bruising of the spinal cord.
As with severe head trauma, an individual who suffers from a traumatic spinal injury, caused by or resulting from another individual’s negligence, should consider seeking the services of a qualified legal professional. Because of the potential lingering effects of such spinal cord-related injuries, no one should take their condition or the circumstances for granted.
A person’s health is one of his or her most important assets and can dictate the way in which that individual will be able to conduct their life now and in the future. There is nothing wrong with standing up for your rights and protecting yourself, your family and your future in cases of negligent injury.