Low Speed Auto Accidents Does Not Always Mean Low Injuries

Minor Fender Benders Can Cause Major Injuries

People are injured in low-speed collisions every day. Just because a car crash happens at a low speed does not mean that you can’t get injured.

“Low speed” impacts are considered a crash that occurs at 25 miles per hour or less. Studies have shown that even a rear-end impact of as little as 5 miles per hour can cause significant injuries.

Low-speed impacts do not activate the vehicle’s “crumple zones”.

Crumple Zones are structural features on a vehicle that are designed to compress during a crash and absorb impact energy. Low-speed impact does not engage the crumple zones, instead transferring the crash pulse, or energy, into the vehicle frame which then transmits it to the occupants.

Since occupants are belted into the vehicle, they receive the bulk of the crash forces, instead of the vehicle’s crumple zones.

Insurance companies do not want to pay for property damage for vehicles any more than they have to. As a result, passenger vehicles are designed to show minimal damage from low-speed collisions.

Several factors can contribute to injury such as the number of vehicles involved, speed differential, direction and location of impact, vehicle weight, crush points, and seat failure.

An average roadway vehicle weighs about 2,000 pounds and can cause an impact force of almost 4 tons at a very low speed.

A heavier vehicle such as a work truck or tractor-trailer going the same speed can easily double or triple that impact force. It is the crash pulse, not the visible property damage that causes occupant injuries.

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The attorneys here at Fisher Stark understand the real impact “crumple zones” have on occupant injuries.

Our legal team knows that significant injuries can occur at any speed. Low-speed impacts can and do, cause various kinds of injuries to the neck and back, up to and including brain injuries.

The most common injury is a “coup contrecoup” injury or more commonly referred to as whiplash.

Whiplash occurs when the neck and head are suddenly forced backward and then snapped forward, putting the cervical spine (neck region) through lightning-quick motions and extreme stresses. This type of injury can cause ruptured spinal disks as well as extreme pain and soreness.

Remember that the adrenaline and shock that accompany any type of accident can mask serious injury. So don’t be afraid to go in an ambulance from the scene. The ambulance personnel are trained professionals and can provide much-needed assistance.

Victims of a car accident often do themselves a disservice by underestimating the connection between personal injury and visible collision damage.

Some people assume that because they don’t see a lot of visible property damage to a vehicle, they may not be that hurt.

Worse, some folks undermine their chances of recovery by responding immediately to insurance companies and understating the damage that their vehicle and, more importantly, their own body suffered because of a crash.

 

Don’t be Fooled: Minor Property Damage does NOT mean You Experienced a Minor Crash

In some instances, you might not feel substantial pain or experience other symptoms for hours, days, or even weeks after the crash. Delayed pain may be a sign of a serious underlying injury.

For example, delayed headaches after a car accident could be a sign that you have a traumatic brain injury, which should not be left untreated.

Experts tell us that the force felt on the body can be 6-10 times greater than the traveling speed of the vehicle at the time of the collision. When such forces travel through the vehicle and into our bodies, the results can be devastating.

Car accident injuries frequently occur from the violent back-and-forth movements of your internal organs and bones when your neck and spine move suddenly.

At the moment of the car crash, you may not notice the pain because of the shock and adrenaline rush. Delayed pain in your shoulders and neck is just one of many common signs of an undiagnosed whiplash injury after an accident.

 

Asheville Auto Accident Attorneys at Fisher Stark P.A.

The car accident legal team at Fisher Stark, P.A. understands the law regarding all kinds of car accident injuries.

We are trial attorneys that will help you find out what your options are and prepare your case to pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries.

We work hard to help our clients recover the monetary compensation that they deserve for their medical bills, pain and suffering, human losses, and loss of income.

Our experienced personal injury attorneys tried cases throughout Western North Carolina: Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, and surrounding counties.

Call us now if you or a loved one has been hurt or injured in an auto accident (no matter how minor) and are experiencing health issues or pain from the crash.

Let our personal injury experience go to work for you. We invite you to contact us to see if we can help you. Call today for a free case evaluation at 828-505-4300.