5 Common Injuries after a Tampa Rear-End Accident

You feel so lucky. You were in a car accident in Tampa, but it was so minor, there wasn't even a mar on your car. The other driver was very apologetic, and he wasn't hurt either, so you didn't bother getting his information. You both drove off shaken but seemingly unharmed, happy that that the accident wasn't serious.

But the next few days told a different tale: Your vision is blurry, and you're having trouble sleeping because of a headache that you can't seem to shake.

This is unfortunately a common occurrence after a rear-end car accident in Florida. Victims will assume that they are uninjured because the cars are okay, because they want to go home, or because they are in shock. While a few serious injuries will be immediately recognizable, many can take weeks to fully appear.

The most common injuries after a Tampa rear-end collision include:

• Whiplash. When you anticipate an accident, your neck muscles will tense, allowing some resistance to injury. But since rear-end accident victims rarely see the cars that hit them, they do not have time to react, causing the head to remain stationary as their body is thrown forward.
• Pelvic fracture. Seatbelts can save your life by restraining you in an accident. However, the sudden jolt-of a rear-end accident can cause the belt to snap tightly around your waist, causing hip fractures in children or senior passengers.
• Airbag injuries. A deployed airbag may look soft, but any object can cause injury if it's traveling fast enough. The luckiest victims escape with aches and bruises, while others suffer broken noses, broken ribs, eye damage, skin abrasions or permanently impaired vision.
• Cervical spinal injury. The ligaments in your neck are relatively weak-and they're the only things keeping your head attached to your body. Roughly 80 percent of all neck injuries treated in the U.S. are a result of rear-end car accidents, most of them where the neck meets the spine.
• Death. While rear-end collisions often happen at lower speeds, they can still result in the death of the in-front driver. In most cases, the driver is elderly, very young, or was pushed further into traffic and hit by a second vehicle.

As experienced Tampa car accident attorneys, we know that you don't want to pursue a case against a driver if no one was harmed. But when these injuries arise later, they often require comprehensive medical treatment, time off of work, and even corrective surgery.

Our attorneys can help you receive compensation for your medical bills and get you the help you need while you rest and recover. If you or someone you love has been injured in a Tampa car accident, call Chalik & Chalik today at 888-539-5297 for a free consultation.