After a car crash, pedestrians are often left in serious condition. Medical care is necessary in these cases, and long after a patient heals, he or she may still require additional care measures through physical therapy and other services. For this reason, those who are struck should seek advice on a lawsuit against dangerous drivers.
What are common injury patterns for those hit by a car?
If the collision took place from the front, then it would be normal to see a number of different injuries depending on the person’s height. If the person is an adult, it’s more likely to see the lower legs injured by a strike from the bumper on the vehicle. As the body moves forward over the hood, the head may make contact with the windshield, leading to abrasions, cuts, lacerations and other injuries. Depending on the speed of the impact, a pedestrian may be thrown onto the hood, roof or even road behind the vehicle after impact.
What are common injuries for children?
For children who are hit, it’s more common for neck or head injuries to take place. Small children may suffer a direct blow to the head from the bumper or hood of the vehicle. Some may be pushed under the vehicle and could be run over or pinned. Cervical spine dislocations are most common for child-versus-vehicle collisions.
What needs to happen after an accident?
After an accident, time is of the essence. The faster a pedestrian can reach a hospital, the better his or her chances of survival become. Generally speaking, severe cases are directly transported to Level I trauma centers, so the closer the accident is to that center, the better the outcome for the patient. Patients should have their airways, breathing and circulation stabilized quickly. Traumatic brainjuries are common, and injuries to the spine are also seen regularly, so medical attention has to be given to those areas of the body.
Source: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, “Pedestrian Injuries: Emergency Care Considerations,” Bharath Chakravarthy, MD, Shahram Lotfipour, MD, MPH, and Federico E. Vaca, MD, MPH, accessed Aug. 30, 2016
