Unfortunately, as of 2021, there are 42 car accidents and 18 car accident injuries per day in Raleigh. This post discusses Raleigh Car Accident Injuries.
The Bishop Law Firm represents Raleigh Car Accident Injury victims and we offer free case reviews. There is no fee unless you win. Call us today, 919-615-3095 or start your free case review online now.
Types of Raleigh Car Accidents
In Wake County from 2017 - 2021, there was an average of 76 deaths, 12,002 injuries, 243 pedestrian injuries, 83 bicycle accidents and 242 motorcycle accidents per year.
In Raleigh, in 2023, there were 51,356 crashes with 10,405 injuries and 64 deaths per the NC DOT.
The Raleigh Police Department has maintained a Raleigh map of car crashes reported since 2015. This map is based on the DMV-349s (accident reports) completed for each reported accident.
This map logs contributing circumstances to Raleigh car accidents: coming from behind parked vehicle; darting; illegally in the road way; failure to yield right of way; not visible; inattentive (distracted); failure to obey traffic signs, signals; wrong side of road and unknown.
The above unsafe movements can result in (National Safety Council) angle collisions, head on collisions, rear-end collisions and sideswipes.
Also read Raleigh Car Accident Reports and Raleigh Car Accident Statistics
The type of car accident you are involved in can definitely affect the type of injuries you sustain.
Head on collisions, collisions with much larger vehicles and T-bones can cause more injury than a rear-end collision or sideswipe. Car accidents involving pedestrians and motorcycle riders can even prove fatal.
Also read Twenty Tips to Avoid Raleigh Car Accidents & Twenty Steps to Take After Raleigh Car Accident
Types of Raleigh Car Accident Injuries
Raleigh car accident injuries are broken into four general categories by insurance company adjusters: soft tissue, broken bones, catastrophic and fatal.
Also read: How much will my car accident injury settlement be?
Soft Tissue Injury
Soft tissue injuries involve contusions, sprains, tendonitis, bursitis and strains (per JH). Pain immediately after your car accident, swelling, bruising and difficulty moving the injured body part are all symptoms of a soft tissue injury (via RUH).
These injuries usually heal within six weeks but can take months to have a complete resolution of symptoms. R.I.C.E, anti-inflammatories and physical therapy are often recommended.
Car accident victims with soft tissue injury are often involved in low speed/low impact collisions (side swipe, rear ends) but that is not always the case. A victim can be involved in a devastating crash and walk away (luckily) with only soft tissue injury.
That being said, someone involved in a low speed collision can also walk away with devastating injuries under the wrong circumstances.
Also read Skin Injury after Car Accident, PTSD After Car Accident, Vehophobia After Car Accident, Delayed Symptoms After Car Accident
Broken Bones
The higher the speed of the vehicles at the time of impact and where the cars collided can cause broken bones. In addition, crush injuries can result in broken bones.
Head on collision and T-Bones are definitely types of accidents that can cause broken bones. Common broken bones from car accidents include arm fractures, wrist fractures, tibia/fibula fractures, femur fractures, clavicle fractures, rib fractures, back fractures, hip fractures, pelvis fractures and face/skull fractures (Via Alexander Ortho).
As we age, broken bones become harder to mend. Breaking a bone in a car accident at 50 years of age is a lot different than breaking a bone playing baseball at 10 years old.
Treatment for broken bones depends on the location and type of break. If the bone broke into many pieces (comminuted) recovery will be more difficult. Splints, braces, plaster casts, traction, surgically inserted rods, pain relief and physical therapy are all treatment options.
Read: Back Injury After Car Accident, Neck Injury After Car Accident, Shoulder Injury After Car Accident, Leg Injury After Car Accident, Foot Injury After Car Accident
Catastrophic Injury
Unfortunately, accidents with 18-wheelers, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcyclist accidents can leave victims with devastating long term disabilities.
Catastrophic injuries usually happen when a victim is involved in a crash with a much larger (heavier) vehicle. In pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle accidents, victims do not have the same protection as someone riding in a vehicle.
According to Forbes, types of catastrophic injuries include spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis, amputation, loss of hearing/sight, facial injury which cases deformity, nerve damage, brain injuries, neurological damage, severe organ damage, or severe burns.
Catastrophic injuries will take substantial time to heal and the victim may never be the same. Treatment will involve substantial rehabilitation, significant missed time from work and can cause severe emotional strain on a family.
Also read: Chiari Malformation After Car Accident, Blunt Force Trauma to the Head After Car Accident, Brain Injury After Car Accident, Chronic Conditions from Car Accidents
Fatality
Unfortunately, high speed accidents, accidents that involve drunk/drowsy drivers and accidents with unbelted victims can result in fatality. According to Drive Safe, one U.S. person dies every 28 minutes due to drunk driving.
Wrongful Death can be devastating for families. While love and care can never be replaced, a case should definitely be pursued to help a family recover from this huge loss.
Also read: Raleigh Wrongful Death Lawyer
What to do after a Raleigh Car Accident Injury
- After an accident, always call 911 and report motor vehicle accidents. If you do not report the accident, the at-fault party can say that the accident did not really occur.
- Be courteous to the at-fault party. Mistakes happen and you do not want to take any action that will diminish your position as a victim.
- Take photos of your car and the at-fault parties' car if you can at the scene.
- Seek immediate medical treatment after the accident or tell the officer you need EMS.
- Follow all medical advice.
- If you are in pain, you need to report that pain to your medical providers and also inform them about when the pain started.
- Take photos of your bodily injuries when the accident first occurred and also throughout the healing process. Photos of injuries speak volumes!
- File a claim with the at-fault party's insurance company.
- Obtain a copy of the accident report from the police officer who was at the scene or the agency that they work for. Also read Raleigh Car Accident Reports.
- Verify that the police report is correct about what happened. If the police report is not correct, you will need to contact the officer.
- Decide if you need a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer to help with your case.
Also read: What not to do after a Raleigh Car Accident.
How can a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer help?
If you are wondering what a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer can do for your injury claim or if you even need to hire a car accident lawyer, we are here to give you some food for thought.
The main thrust of what a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer does is to increase the value of your claim. While a car accident attorney can sometimes get substantial increases in value, other times only modest increases in value are made and even then only through long fought litigation.
Either way, the attorney will do all that they can to get you the most money in pocket because Raleigh Car Accident Lawyers are contingent fee lawyers. Which means that their attorney fee is based off how much they recover for you.
Also read What does a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer Do?
If you are looking for a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer, give us a call today, 919-615-3095, or start your free case review online now.
