Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers | July 7, 2025 | Car Accidents
Car crashes can happen without warning and cause damage that goes far beyond dented metal — the physical injuries involved can completely alter a victim’s life. Some injuries take weeks to heal; others never fully go away.
Here are some of the most common injuries seen in car accidents.
Head and Brain Injuries
During a car wreck, the extreme forces involved can throw the vehicle occupants’ bodies forward or to the side. A person’s head can hit a window, the steering wheel, or the dashboard. Even if it doesn’t hit anything, the brain can still slam around inside the skull because of the sudden motion.
That’s how traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen, and they’re not always obvious immediately after the accident. Victims often feel fine at first but start to notice memory issues, headaches, or confusion hours or days later. TBIs range from mild concussions to serious trauma that can impact speech, movement, and personality.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries tend to get dismissed because they aren’t detectable on imaging scans, but they can hurt just as much as any major injury. Muscle strains, ligament sprains, and tendon damage can take a toll on a victim’s mobility and mental health as they heal.
Bruising and swelling are typical signs of this kind of injury, but the deeper damage can take time to show up. Injuries like torn rotator cuffs, sprained ankles, and pulled back muscles can make it difficult to move around and keep someone out of work or away from their usual routine for weeks.
These injuries are hard to prove and explain, but that doesn’t make them any less real. Crash victims often get stuck in a loop of pain and physical therapy, hoping to get back to where they were before the accident.
Internal Injuries
The most dangerous injuries are often the ones that can’t be seen. A car crash can cause internal bleeding and organ damage to the liver, spleen, lungs, heart, or other organs. Seat belts save lives, but in high-speed collisions, they can also cause internal bruising or even crush injuries.
Internal injuries often require emergency surgery and lengthy hospital stays. They can cause major complications if they’re not caught in time.
Neck and Back Injuries
One of the most talked-about injuries after a car crash is whiplash, and for good reason. This neck injury is caused by the head snapping back and forth like a whip. The motion can damage muscles, ligaments, and even spinal discs. Suffering from whiplash can make it hard to turn your head, fall asleep, or focus because of the constant pain.
Back injuries also frequently result from rear-end collisions and high-speed accidents. Herniated discs can occur when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through its outer capsule and puts pressure on the nearby nerves. That pain can travel down the arms or legs, depending on which disc was damaged.
Injuries like these can lead to chronic issues. A sore neck or back might turn into months or years of pain and ongoing therapy, and it might even need surgery if it doesn’t heal right.
Facial Injuries
Airbags are meant to protect, but they can cause injuries in their own right. Crash victims can sustain cuts, bruises, and broken facial bones from the airbag, steering wheel, and shattered glass.
A broken nose or jaw can have long-term impacts on a person’s life and emotional well-being. Scars and other forms of disfigurement become constant reminders of the crash. Some people may need reconstructive surgery or dental implants, which come with their own challenges and costs.
Broken Bones
It doesn’t take much force to fracture a bone in a crash. Arms and legs can get pinned, heads can strike the dashboard, and ribs can get crushed by seat belts or the steering wheel. These injuries can range from clean breaks to complicated fractures that require surgery to fix.
Leg fractures are common in head-on collisions when the front of the vehicle gets crushed, while it’s common for wrists and arms to break in side-impacts. Rib fractures are painful and make it tough to breathe. A broken collarbone or shoulder can take months to heal.
Burns and Road Rash
Burns can result from fires, hot surfaces, or chemical exposure stemming from a crash. Depending on the degree, they might call for skin grafts and long-term care, and they can leave lasting scars.
Road rash happens when an occupant is thrown from a vehicle and skids across the pavement. The friction scrapes away skin and other soft tissue. It’s extremely painful, and infection can set in if the wounds aren’t properly cleaned and treated.
Both types of injuries present the possibility of extensive physical recovery and emotional trauma.
Psychological Trauma
Not every type of injury is physical — some wounds affect the mind. After a serious accident, it’s not unusual for victims to experience anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. They might experience nightmares or sudden mood changes and develop a fear of driving or even getting in a vehicle. These effects can linger long after the body has healed.
This type of trauma often goes untreated because it’s harder to identify and talk about. However, the mental scars from a car accident can interfere with sleep, disrupt relationships, and affect the victim’s ability to return to daily life. Counseling can help, but the healing process is often slow.
Contact the Car Accident Lawyers at Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Car accident injuries can impact a victim’s body and their peace of mind, leaving them dealing with pain that doesn’t subside and scars that never fade. The damage can run deep, even when things look fine on the outside.
That’s the part people don’t see — the way a single event can ripple through every part of one’s life and leave them picking up the pieces long after the wreckage has been cleared.
For this reason, seeking prompt medical attention and psychological support after a car accident, as well as working with a qualified attorney to recover necessary compensation, can be critical for helping those involved in car crashes move forward and reclaim control over their lives.
For more information, please contact Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina today. We have twelve convenient locations in North Carolina, including Greenville, Raleigh, Goldsboro, Jacksonville, Kinston, Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Winston-Salem & Garner.
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Raleigh Office
4600 Marriott Dr STE 500, Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 876-3020
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Charlotte Office
1914 J N Pease Pl Suite 142, Charlotte, NC 28262
(704) 486-5824
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Durham Office
100 E Parrish St STE 200, Durham, NC 27701
(919) 728-1770
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Garner Office
500 Benson Rd Suite 111, Garner, NC 27529
(800) 525-7111
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Greensboro Office
7B Corporate Center Ct Suite 15, Greensboro, NC 27408
(336) 516-9066
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Greenville Office
300 E Arlington Blvd Suite 2A #110, Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 397-8620
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Goldsboro Office
601 N Spence Ave, Goldsboro, NC 27534
(919) 778-9700
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville Office
3391 Henderson Dr, Jacksonville, NC 28546
(910) 455-5599
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Kinston Office
807 N Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501
(252) 397-8624
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Fayetteville Office
2517 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28305
(910) 387-9186
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Wilmington Office
1608 Queen St Suite 12, Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 889-4064
Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers – Winston-Salem Office
102 W 3rd St, Ste 1007, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 516-9042