Common Injuries Sustained by Pedestrians in Accidents

Common Injuries Sustained by Pedestrians in Accidents

Pedestrians are considered vulnerable roadway users in California. This means that anytime a pedestrian is around the roadway or near other vehicles, they face significant risks of sustaining injuries. All it takes is one wrong move by a careless or negligent driver for a pedestrian to sustain severe injuries. Here, we want to discuss the most common injuries that pedestrians are likely to incur in the event they are struck by a vehicle.

Lacerations, puncture wounds, road rash

When an individual is struck by a vehicle, this is very likely to cause some type of external damage to their skin. Depending on what part of the vehicle strikes an individual and where individual land after being struck, this can include severe road rash, deep lacerations, or puncture wounds. These types of injuries must be treated immediately, as they can lead to significant bleeding or infection.

Broken or dislocated bones

Pedestrian accident victims are much more likely to sustain broken or dislocated bones than those involved in other types of accidents. Vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, and even a slow-moving vehicle can lead to a fractured or broken bone or a dislocation. This can include broken legs, arms, and ribs. 

Traumatic brain injuries

Anytime a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, they risk a severe brain injury. This can occur as a result of the head striking the vehicle, a fixed object, or the ground. However, brain injuries can occur even if the head does not directly impact a vehicle or another object. The whipping back and forth the body sustains as a result of an impact can cause the brain to become jostled around inside of the skull, leading to a brain injury or brain bleed.

Spinal cord trauma

Spinal cord injuries are one of the worst types of injuries that can occur as a result of a pedestrian accident. The force of a heavy vehicle slamming into a person can lead to an incomplete or complete spinal cord injury, which means a person can experience various levels of paralysis. A pedestrian accident victim could become paralyzed, either completely or partially, from the site of the spinal cord injury downward.

Internal bleeding or organ damage

Often, there are no immediate visible injuries in the aftermath of a pedestrian accident, but that does not mean there is no trauma. The blunt force effect of a vehicle impact on a pedestrian can lead to significant internal bleeding or internal organ damage that causes just as much trauma as any type of external injury. Internal bleeding can lead to significant long-term disabilities or death if not immediately treated.

Emotional and psychological trauma

Pedestrian accident victims can suffer from significant emotional and psychological trauma caused by the accident, their injuries, and the subsequent rehabilitation period. This can include feelings of sleeplessness, anxiety, fear, depression, and more. In some cases, pedestrian crash victims in California can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even though these injuries are not as visible as the other types of trauma mentioned in this article, they still significantly affect victims, and individuals should be able to recover compensation for these types of losses with the help of Orange County pedestrian accident attorneys.