Passenger Accident Injuries

Injured as a Passenger? Get Help from an Experienced Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney

Passengers can suffer a wide range of injuries in severe car accidents. While some of these injuries may heal relatively quickly, others can have a lifetime of consequences. If you have been seriously injured as a passenger, you should see a doctor for treatment promptly and talk to a Fort Myers car accident lawyer at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. about your legal rights as soon as possible.

Just like drivers injured in car accidents, passengers injured in car accidents have clear legal rights under Florida law, but protecting your legal rights as a passenger is not easy. An experienced Fort Myers car accident lawyer can help you every step of the way—from determining who is liable for your injuries to fighting for the full compensation you deserve.

Common Passenger Injuries in Car Accidents

Our firm represents passengers who have suffered all types of serious injuries in car accidents in Florida. This includes, but is not limited to, injuries such as:

Bone Injuries

Bone fractures and dislocations are among the most common passenger accident injuries. Even if a passenger’s airbags deploy properly, the force of impact in a collision can still be more than enough to break or dislocate bones throughout the body. Injuries involving the ribs, clavicle (collar bone), and bones throughout the arms, legs, hands, and feet are all extremely common. Treatment needs for bone injuries can vary widely, from resetting a dislocated shoulder to surgically repairing comminuted fractures in the arms or legs.

Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are common as well. In serious car accidents, passengers can suffer burns due to a variety of different causes. Along with exposure to extreme heat and flames, these include friction burns from seatbelts and airbags as well as chemical burns from airbag explosions. Similar to bone fractures, burns can range widely in terms of their severity, and treatment needs can range from topical ointments and bandaging to multiple skin graft surgeries.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries involve damage to muscles, ligaments, or tendons. This damage can either take the form of a sprain or strain (which involves stretching of the soft tissue) or a full or partial tear. Surgery will be necessary to repair tears in many cases. Even when surgically repaired, tears can often leave passengers with limited mobility and other permanent consequences.

Nerve Injuries

Nerves carry signals between the brain and other parts of the body, and proper nerve function is essential for all types of bodily movements and processing all types of sensory inputs. As a result, suffering nerve damage as a passenger in a car accident can have life-altering consequences. While nerve damage is repairable in some cases, many nerve injuries result in permanent loss of mobility, loss of control over bodily functions, or loss of sensation and numbness.

Facial Injuries

Whether or not a passenger’s frontal airbag deploys, a serious car accident can result in disfiguring facial injuries. Fractures, burns, and deep lacerations are all common. Along with permanent disfigurement, these injuries can also result in permanent loss of function in some cases—including inability to chew, inability to smell, and full or partial vision loss.

Back Injuries

Serious back injuries in car accidents are far more common than many people realize. While the human spine is extremely robust, it simply cannot withstand the forces involved in a serious collision. Herniated discs, vertebrae fractures, and spinal cord damage are all serious injuries commonly suffered by drivers and passengers alike. Similar to the other types of passenger accident injuries on this list, treatment needs vary depending on the severity of the injury. However, in all cases, treatment can be incredibly expensive, making it critical to work with an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney who can help you seek just compensation.

Neck Injuries

Neck injuries are common passenger accident injuries as well. One of the most common types of neck injuries is hyperextension or hyperflexion of the cervical spine, including sprains that occur when the head moves forward due to a collision and then quickly snaps back into place. This is sometimes referred to as “whiplash.” This “snapping” motion can cause damage to the soft tissue and nerves in the neck—causing pain, loss of mobility, and a variety of other effects. Twisting of the neck, lacerations, and other forms of trauma can also have life-altering—if not life-threatening—consequences.

Brain Injuries

Passengers can suffer brain injuries due to blunt force trauma or violent shaking of the head. Concussions are the most common type of accident-related brain injury by far, and careful treatment is critical for mitigating the risks associated with concussions. Other more serious brain injuries, including diffuse axonal injuries (DAI), coup-contrecoup injuries, hemorrhages, and hematomas, can have life-altering or life-threatening consequences as well.

Internal Injuries

Along with back, neck, and brain injuries, other types of internal injuries can also be extremely dangerous. These include internal bleeding as well as damage to the lungs, kidneys, stomach, and other organs. Prompt diagnosis can be critical, and, in some cases, emergency medical intervention will be necessary to mitigate the potential risks involved.

Psychological Trauma

In addition to physical injuries, psychological trauma is a significant concern for passengers involved in serious car accidents as well. Psychological trauma can also have life-altering effects, and while treatment is available, the recovery process can be long and challenging. If you are dealing with psychological trauma after being involved in a serious car accident as a passenger, an experienced Fort Myers car accident lawyer may be able to help you seek financial compensation not only for your treatment needs but for the day-to-day effects of your trauma as well.

Discuss Your Legal Rights with Fort Myers Car Accident Lawyer Randall L. Spivey for Free

Do you need to know more about your legal rights after being injured in a car accident as a passenger in Florida? If so, we invite you to get in touch. To discuss your legal rights with a Fort Myers car accident lawyer at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. call 239-337-7483 or statewide at 888-477-4839, or request a free consultation online today.