Slate’s Law Blog

Car Accidents in Santa Fe: Common Personal Injuries

Car Accidents in Santa Fe

Personal injuries can result from many different kinds of accidents, and they can range in severity. In motor vehicle crashes, vehicle occupants and pedestrians can suffer various types of injuries that can be serious and ultimately may result in lifelong disabilities. Depending upon the type and severity of your injuries, and the cause of your car accident, you may be eligible to file a claim for financial compensation. The following are common personal injuries that can occur in a Santa Fe car crash or car accidents. If you sustained one of these injuries, you should seek advice from a Santa Fe personal injury attorney to find out more about filing a claim for financial compensation.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common injuries in motor vehicle collisions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), TBIs results in nearly 2.9 million visits to emergency departments every year and nearly 300,000 hospitalizations. More than 20,000 TBIs reported every year occur in children. Motor vehicle and car accidents are currently the second-leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in the U.S., behind falls.

TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe. Concussions are a type of mild TBI. Although most people do recover in a relatively short amount of time from a concussion, even a mild TBI can result in long-term consequences. Moderate and severe TBIs can result in permanent disabilities and death.

Broken Bones in Car Accidents in Santa Fe

Broken bones, which are also known as fractures, often occur in car crashes. The severity of the broken bone injury will depend on the type of fracture and its location. Broken bones in the legs and arms can lead to temporary or permanent disabilities, while broken facial bones can result in substantial disfigurement. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), in some automobile crashes, the force on a bone can be so extreme that it can result in a shattered broken bone injury, which is known as a comminuted fracture. Typically, comminuted fractures require extensive surgeries and follow-up procedures.

Spinal Cord Injuries in Car Accidents in Santa Fe

Spinal cord injuries can happen in many types of car accidents—whenever a person experiences “damage to the vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself,” according to the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic also reports that “auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for almost half of new spinal cord injuries each year.” Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic, and they frequently lead to paralysis. Paraplegia is a type of partial paralysis, while tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia) is a full paralysis that typically affects all limbs. Paralysis can be complete, meaning a person has lost all sensory function, or incomplete.

Contact a Santa Fe Personal Injury Attorney Today

Whether you sustained a serious injury in a car crash or another type of accident, one of the experienced Santa Fe personal injury lawyers at our firm can speak with you today about filing a claim for financial compensation. Contact Slate Stern Law to speak with an advocate at our firm and to learn more about your options for filing a personal injury lawsuit in New Mexico.