The forces involved in a motor vehicle collision can injure nearly every part of the body, and the severity of an injury is not always apparent in the hours after a crash.
In the following article, we explore some of the most common injuries that can occur after Texas car accidents: how they happen, the symptoms to watch for, and how they are typically treated.
If you or a loved one were hurt in a crash caused by another driver, the attorneys at Hissey Mulderig & Friend offer no-cost case evaluations to injured Texans.
Call us toll-free at 1-866-806-8117 or send us a message using the free contact form on the right side of this page to talk with a lawyer about your case.
Whiplash
Whiplash occurs when a sudden impact (most often a rear-end collision) snaps the head rapidly backward and forward, straining the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck beyond their normal range of motion.
Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, headaches that start at the base of the skull, dizziness, shoulder pain, and reduced range of motion, and they frequently do not appear until a day or more after the crash.
Most cases are treated with rest, ice and heat, over-the-counter pain relief, and physical therapy, but severe cases can involve chronic pain lasting months or years.
Concussion
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused when the brain moves within the skull during a sudden impact or violent shaking. A direct blow to the head is not required.
Symptoms include headache, confusion, memory problems, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, and mood or sleep changes. Diagnosis relies on neurological evaluation, since concussions typically do not appear on standard imaging.
Treatment centers on physical and cognitive rest followed by a gradual return to activity, with medical monitoring for post-concussion syndrome, in which symptoms persist for weeks or months.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
More severe than a concussion, a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury involves bruising, bleeding, or tearing of brain tissue, caused by the head striking a window, steering wheel, or roadway, or by violent acceleration forces alone.
Symptoms range from prolonged loss of consciousness, seizures, and slurred speech to profound changes in memory, personality, and cognitive function.
Diagnosis requires CT or MRI imaging, and treatment can include emergency surgery to relieve pressure or remove hematomas, followed by extended rehabilitation with physical, occupational, and speech therapists.
Many TBI survivors live with permanent impairments that affect their ability to work and care for themselves.
Back Injuries And Herniated Discs
The spine absorbs enormous force in a collision, and injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and discs of the back are among the most common crash outcomes.
A herniated disc occurs when the soft inner core of a spinal disc pushes through its outer ring, pressing on nearby nerves.
Symptoms include localized back pain, and shooting pain, numbness, or weakness radiating into the arms or legs depending on the disc’s location.
Conservative treatment involves physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and epidural steroid injections; cases that do not respond may require surgery such as a discectomy or spinal fusion.
Spinal Cord Injuries And Paralysis
Damage to the spinal cord itself from fracture, dislocation, or severe compression of the vertebrae can interrupt the signals between the brain and body. Depending on the level and completeness of the injury, the result can be partial loss of sensation or movement, paraplegia (paralysis of the lower body), or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs).
Emergency treatment focuses on stabilizing the spine and reducing swelling, often followed by surgery.
There is currently no way to reverse spinal cord damage; long-term care involves intensive rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and treatment of secondary complications such as pressure sores, infections, and respiratory problems.
Broken Bones And Fractures
Fractures are common in crashes of every severity, with the ribs, arms, wrists, collarbone, legs, ankles, hips, and pelvis most frequently affected.
Symptoms include intense pain, swelling, bruising, deformity, and inability to bear weight or grip.
Simple fractures are treated with casting or splinting and heal in a matter of weeks, while compound or comminuted fractures — where the bone breaks through the skin or shatters into fragments — require surgical repair with plates, screws, or rods, and carry risks of infection and long-term loss of function.
Pelvic and hip fractures are especially serious and often require months of rehabilitation.
Organ Damage And Internal Bleeding
Blunt force from a steering wheel, seatbelt, or intruding vehicle structure can bruise or lacerate internal organs — most often the spleen, liver, kidneys, and bowel — and tear blood vessels, causing internal bleeding that is not visible from outside.
Warning signs include abdominal pain and swelling, dizziness, fainting, deep bruising across the torso, and blood in urine or stool.
Internal bleeding is a medical emergency: diagnosis requires imaging and blood work, and treatment frequently means emergency surgery and transfusions. Because symptoms can be delayed, medical evaluation soon after any significant crash is critical.
Chest Injuries
The chest commonly strikes the steering wheel or is compressed by the seatbelt during a frontal collision. The result can range from bruised ribs and the breastbone to rib fractures, a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or bruising of the heart and lungs.
Symptoms include sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing, shortness of breath, and tenderness across the ribcage.
Rib fractures generally heal with rest and pain management over several weeks, but any difficulty breathing after a crash warrants immediate emergency care, since a collapsed lung or cardiac contusion can become life-threatening quickly.
Shoulder And Seatbelt Injuries
The shoulder harness saves lives, but it concentrates crash forces across the shoulder and collarbone. Common results include torn rotator cuffs, shoulder dislocations and separations, and clavicle fractures, along with the bruising pattern known as “seatbelt sign” across the chest and abdomen.
Symptoms include deep shoulder pain, weakness, limited range of motion, and a grinding or popping sensation.
Treatment ranges from immobilization and physical therapy to arthroscopic surgery for full-thickness rotator cuff tears, which often do not heal on their own.
Knee And Leg Injuries
In frontal crashes, the knees frequently strike the dashboard, producing injuries that include fractured kneecaps, torn ligaments (ACL, PCL, MCL), torn meniscus cartilage, and dislocations. Occupants may also suffer fractures of the femur, tibia, and fibula, and crush injuries to the feet and ankles from collapsing floor structure.
Symptoms include swelling, instability, inability to bear weight, and mechanical locking of the joint.
Ligament and cartilage tears are diagnosed by MRI and often require arthroscopic reconstruction followed by months of physical therapy; severe leg fractures may need surgical fixation.
Cuts, Lacerations, And Facial Injuries
Shattered glass, deployed airbags, and contact with hard interior surfaces cause lacerations ranging from minor cuts to deep wounds involving muscle and nerve. Facial injuries deserve particular attention: fractures of the nose, cheekbones, and jaw, dental damage, and eye injuries are all common in frontal impacts.
Treatment runs from cleaning and suturing to reconstructive surgery for deep facial wounds and fractures. Deep lacerations carry risks of infection and nerve damage, and facial wounds can leave permanent scarring even with skilled surgical repair.
Burn Injuries
Though less common than blunt trauma, burns occur in crashes involving fire, fuel leaks, contact with hot engine components or fluids, and friction against roadway surfaces.
Burns are classified by depth: first-degree burns redden the outer skin, second-degree burns blister and damage deeper layers, and third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin and underlying tissue.
Severe burns require treatment in specialized burn centers, with debridement, skin grafting, and long courses of wound care and physical therapy to preserve mobility. Extensive burns leave permanent scarring and carry high risks of infection during recovery.
Amputation And Crush Injuries
High-energy collisions — particularly those involving commercial trucks or motorcycle riders — can crush or sever limbs, or damage an arm or leg so severely that surgical amputation becomes necessary to save the patient’s life. Crush injuries destroy muscle, nerve, and blood vessels and can trigger dangerous systemic complications as damaged tissue breaks down.
Treatment involves emergency surgery, wound reconstruction, and, for amputees, a long process of healing, prosthetic fitting, and rehabilitation to relearn daily tasks.
These are among the most life-altering injuries a crash can inflict.
Psychological Injuries And PTSD
Not all crash injuries are physical. Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and driving phobia are well-documented consequences of serious collisions.
Symptoms include intrusive memories and nightmares of the crash, avoidance of driving or riding in vehicles, hypervigilance in traffic, sleep disturbance, and mood changes that strain work and family life.
These conditions are diagnosable medical injuries, treated with trauma-focused psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy or EMDR, and in some cases medication. Untreated, they can persist long after physical wounds have healed.
Injuries From an Accident? You May Qualify for Compensation.
Whatever injury you or a family member suffered, prompt medical care comes first, but it is also important to speak with an experienced injury law firm to learn about your legal right to receive compensation for your injuries.
The lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend represent injury victims and their families across Texas. Our attorneys can review your accident and your medical records to help you understand your legal rights at no charge.
Find out whether you may qualify to file a case or start the process of filing your claim today by calling our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117 or send us a message using the free claim submission form, located at the top of this page.