Common Injuries from Gainesville Car Accidents

Common Injuries from Gainesville Car Accidents

Gainesville, Florida has a lot of car accidents. In a recent year, the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard reported that 4,474 traffic accidents were investigated by the Gainesville Police Department. These crashes caused 23 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The injuries from these car crashes ranged from minor bruises and abrasions to catastrophic brain and spinal cord trauma. Most of the injuries from car accidents fall into a few categories, depending on the nature of the crash.

If you were injured in a collision, contact or call Allen Law Firm, P.A. to speak with an experienced Gainesville car accident lawyer at (877) 255-3652. Our law office offers a free consultation.

How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After a Car Accident in Gainesville, FL

How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After a Car Accident in Gainesville, FL

Allen Law Firm, P.A. has highly rated and experienced attorneys. The firm’s lawyers have earned AV Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell — the highest possible rating for legal knowledge and ethics.

Our Gainesville car accident attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience. We have helped our firm recover hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients.

If you hire our Gainesville personal injury lawyers for help with a car accident claim, we’ll:

  • Gather evidence proving every element of your case, including causation, liability, and damages
  • Negotiate for a fair settlement on your behalf
  • Handle every aspect of your claim from start to finish
  • Advocate for your best interests in court if we fail to secure an out-of-court agreement

Injuries from a car accident might prevent you from participating in the activities you love. They may interfere with your ability to work or even care for your daily needs. 

Contact Allen Law Firm, P.A. for a free consultation to discuss your car accident injuries and the compensation you can get.

How Common Are Car Accident Injuries in Gainesville, FL?

According to the Florida Crash Dashboard, Alachua County, home to Gainesville, had 5,193 traffic accidents in a recent year. These accidents included 96 bicycle crashes and 161 pedestrian crashes, which leaves 4,936 accidents involving cars.

The dashboard shows that the county saw 2,396 injuries, including 2,180 car injury accidents. These numbers point to an injury rate of 44.2%. In other words, if you had an accident in Alachua County in 2021, you had a 44.2% chance of being injured. 

The population of Alachua County is over 279,000. Almost 0.8% of the county’s population was involved in an injury accident in 2021. As the most populous city in the county, Gainesville accounts for most of the county’s car accidents and traffic injuries.

Overview of Common Injuries from Gainesville Car Accidents

Car crashes can injure you in many ways, from minor bruising to paralysis.

Bruises

One common car accident injury is a bruised chest from the pressure of the seat belt. You can also bruise your knee if you hit it on the underside of the dashboard. Bruises result from blunt force. The impact ruptures blood vessels under the skin, causing pain, swelling, and discoloration. Bruises usually heal within a few days to a few weeks.

Strains and Sprains

Muscles give your body strength and motion. Tendons anchor muscles to bones. When you hyperextend or tear muscles or tendons, you suffer a strain.

Ligaments hold bones together at joints. A sprain happens when you stretch or tear ligaments.

When your body twists and bends during a car accident, you can suffer sprains or strains in your back, neck, shoulders, and knees. Mild strains and sprains heal within four to six weeks with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Severe strains and sprains may require reconstructive surgery.

Broken Bones

Bones fracture when you experience forces that snap or shatter the bone. 

Some fractures that can happen during a car crash include:

  • Shattered leg bones
  • Broken ribs from your seat belt
  • Facial fractures when you strike the airbag, steering wheel, or dashboard
  • Fractured arms or wrists when you try to stop your motion

If a bone displaces after it fractures, you may need surgery to realign it. Doctors might use screws and plates to hold the bone while it heals.

A simple fracture will heal in about six weeks. A shattered bone could take up to a year to heal.

Brain Injuries

Brain injuries happen when the forces on your brain damage or kill brain cells. 

These injuries can take a few different forms:

  • Concussion
  • Contusion
  • Diffuse axonal injury (DAI)
  • Subdural hematoma

A concussion is the mildest brain injury. You may suffer a headache, confusion, and amnesia after this injury. Other brain injuries are more serious and can cause unconsciousness, coma, or death.

Spinal Cord Injuries

When you fracture your back or neck, the bone fragments can sever the spinal cord. An injured spinal cord can cause paralysis, weakness, pain, and other symptoms. Doctors cannot repair a severed spinal cord. As a result, spinal cord injuries could permanently disable you.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Gainesville Car Accident Lawyers To Discuss Your Injuries 

Car accident injuries can require expensive treatment and therapy and force you to miss work. Contact Allen Law Firm, P.A. for a free consultation to discuss your car accident injuries and the compensation you might recover for them.