Common Injuries After a Car Accident

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer and American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorney, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Accident Victims Across Buffalo. If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Buffalo, New York, Accident That Was Not Your Fault, Our Experienced Team of Attorneys Could Help You Collect the Evidence You Need to Obtain a Fair Settlement.

After a minor fender-bender, you can usually count on your no-fault insurance to help pay for property damage and other expenses. However, serious car accidents often lead to more severe outcomes. In New York, survivors have a right to file a claim for compensation against the person or party who caused their crash. State law places stringent limits on who can and cannot take action after an accident, but if you qualify, you could be entitled to a wide range of economic and non-economic damages.

You should not have to pay the price for another person’s mistake.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New Yorkers assert their rights to a fair recovery. Since our founding in 2005, we have secured more than $300 million in damages money that our clients have used to pay off their medical bills, replace lost incomes, and reclaim their financial independence.

We could help you, too.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 716-839-3939 to speak to a car accident lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

New York is a no-fault state.

Under New York’s no-fault system, motorists are expected to file a claim with their own insurance company before taking legal action against another driver. In order to sue, you must meet several requirements. You must be able to prove that the defendant was at least partly liable for your accident. You will also have to establish that your injuries are serious enough to take to court. This latter requirement is sometimes termed the “serious injury threshold” for car accident lawsuits.

1. A fractured or broken bone;
2. The loss of a fetus;
3. The permanent loss of a body organ, member, function, or system;
4. Permanent “consequential” limitation of the use of a body organ or member;
5. Significant limitation of use of a body function or system, whether temporarily or permanently;
6. A personal injury that results in death, whether at the time of the accident or as a result of accident-related injuries.

New York’s serious injury threshold may seem restrictive, but definitions like “the significant limitation of use of a body function” are actually fairly expansive. You may be able to sue even if you have sustained injuries that seem minor or treatable. If you think you could have a claim, contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today to find out how we could help you build a better, stronger case.

A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone.

Most fractures are caused by traumatic accidents. In the context of a car accident, broken bones are often the result of a strong, sudden, and forceful collision. The most frequently-affected parts of the body include the:

1. Ribs;
2. Hips;
3. Pelvis;
4. Elbows;
5. Arms and knees;
6. Legs.

Broken bones usually hurt, but factors like the location, depth, and complexity of a fracture can influence recovery times. Even if you have a straightforward path to recovery, treatment almost always necessitates some level of sacrifice. This might mean paying out of pocket for physical rehabilitation or taking time off from work.

Soft tissue damage is a type of physical injury to the “soft” parts of the musculoskeletal system. These could include your:

1. Muscles;
2. Tendons;
3. Ligaments.

Soft tissue injuries can be as trivial as a light bruise or as serious as a third-degree sprain, a type of injury that involves a complete tear or rupture of a ligament. These injuries can cause severe pain and dramatic swelling. Even with the right treatment, soft tissue damage can follow you for life.

Your spine serves a critical function, facilitating communication between the brain and body.

The spinal column is incredibly strong, but its strength can be easily compromised through a collision. In fact, back and spinal cord injuries are some of the most common kinds of accident-related injuries. Even if you did not sustain a fracture or neurological damage, spinal injuries are associated with intense pain and severe mobility limitations. In a worst-case scenario, they could lead to permanent disability.

A traumatic brain injury is an injury caused by a violent blow or jolt to the head, neck, or body.

Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, can be mild, moderate, or severe. In some cases, they can be life-threatening. However, diagnosing a traumatic brain injury can be difficult. Concussions, for instance, do not always trigger noticeable symptoms. It can take hours, days, or even weeks for symptoms to start appearing. These symptoms vary but may include physical complaints such as nausea or fatigue, as well as sensory and cognitive issues.

Alarmingly, sustaining a traumatic brain injury could significantly increase your long-term risk of another, similar injury.

Whiplash is a common car accident-related injury that is caused by a forceful and rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Unlike many other conditions, whiplash cannot be diagnosed through medical imaging or laboratory tests. More often than not, your doctor will diagnose whiplash on the basis of your symptoms.

These typically include:

1. Neck pain and stiffness;
2. Pain caused by moving your head and neck;
3. Headaches, which tend to start at the base of the skull;
4. Feelings of tenderness in your shoulder, upper back, or arms;
5. In some cases, cognitive-sensory symptoms like blurred vision, tinnitus, insomnia, and depression.

Most cases of whiplash can be traced back to rear-end collisions. Some studies have found that whiplash can occur at speeds as low as 5 to 15 miles per hour. Whiplash is a common injury, but car insurance companies and defense lawyers are often skeptical of whiplash diagnoses, in large part because they are all but impossible to confirm through standardized medical tests. Many adjusters will assume that you are lying or exaggerating your injuries until proven otherwise.

Do not take chances with your rights: contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today at 716-839-3939 to speak to a Buffalo-Niagara Falls car crash lawyer and find out how much your case could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!