You come to a halt at a red light and enjoy a sip of coffee as you wait for the traffic signal to turn green. However, when you look into the rearview mirror, you see a pickup truck making its way toward you. And it does not stop. Suddenly, you feel the truck collide with the back of your car, and you start to feel pain as a result.
Unfortunately, another person’s careless driving can cause you to suffer serious harm. Fortunately, though, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries in this situation in West Virginia. Here is a look at some common types of injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents.
Injuries involving the head
A head injury is an especially serious motor vehicle accident injury that can happen in a high-speed collision. In this type of accident, you can hit your head against your window, dashboard and wheel. This may cause you to suffer a traumatic brain injury, such as a mild concussion. However, in a serious situation, you may suffer permanent cognitive problems. A head injury can additionally lead to vision issues, skull fractures and hearing loss.
Injuries involving the back
A back injury can also easily happen in a motor vehicle collision. For instance, your spinal cord may suffer damage, thus leading to nerve damage. In addition, you might experience less sensation in your feet, hands, arms and legs. The worst-case scenario is for you to suffer permanent paralysis due to a spinal cord injury.
Injuries involving the chest
In a serious accident, you might also suffer trauma in your chest area. As an example, your lungs may collapse, or your ribs may break. In addition, internal bleeding may impact your chest area and thus require immediately medical care following your car accident.
Your rights following an injury-causing car accident
If someone else’s negligence has caused you to suffer injuries on the road, it is within your rights to file a personal injury claim against this driver, seeking the reimbursement of financial damages. If you can establish the other driver’s liability in the accident, a judge will decide your financial damage claim. You may end up receiving damages that will help you to address your medical bills and other losses linked to the motor vehicle accident.