The 5 Most Common Car Accident Injuries in 2025
The five most common car accident injuries include injuries to the neck, such as whiplash, soft tissue injuries, back and spinal cord injuries, head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, and fractures and broken bones. Injuries suffered in a car accident can be life-changing, leaving victims with a reduced quality of life and significant pain and suffering.
1. Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries after an accident. It occurs when the head is thrown backward and then forward with violent force. This injury happens because of inertia. Inertia means something will stay in motion until an external force acts upon it. It also means something will remain at rest until another force acts upon it.
During a car accident, your body moves due to another vehicle’s force and motion. It continues moving until it collides with something else, such as an airbag, steering wheel, or dash. The sharp, sudden movement of a rear-end accident causes the internal parts of the body to move. As a result, the brain may hit the skull. The neck acts as a kind of shock absorber to blunt the force of the brain colliding with the skeletal structure. The way the neck absorbs the force may damage neck nerves, ligaments, muscles, and even bone.
This type of injury often happens in rear-end accidents. Symptoms from whiplash may or may not be apparent right after the crash and that is why it is critical to seek medical attention even if you feel fine because the next day you may start to feel the physical effects of the accident. Neck pain, stiffness, pain with neck movement, fatigue, tenderness in the neck, and even tingling and numbness throughout the body are all symptoms of a whiplash injury. Some other possible symptoms include blurred vision, depression, ringing in the ears, trouble focusing, and memory problems.
Overall, there are a number of associated disorders that may occur because of whiplash. Depending on the severity of the accident, whiplash symptoms may last days but can also last for months and even become a chronic health issue. Treatment varies and could include a combination of physical therapy and medication. Time off of work may be necessary for your body to heal as well.
2. Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are frequently experienced after car crashes. This type of tissue surrounds your bones and joints, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body. These injuries can manifest as sprains, strains, bruises, or bursitis, often leading to pain, swelling, and discoloration. Symptoms might not become fully apparent until some time has passed following the accident. You may wake up the next morning feeling very sore throughout your back. This soreness could indicate that the tendons along your spine are strained. Common symptoms of soft tissue injuries include difficulty moving a specific muscle, general muscle weakness, pain, stiffness, burning sensations, and swelling.
The sharp, violent movement involved in a car accident can result in an acute soft tissue injury. Such injuries often require medical treatment and pain management. Insurance companies may try to downplay soft tissue injuries by offering low settlements. It is essential to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to help navigate your case effectively. While some soft tissue injuries may resolve within days or weeks, others can persist for months or even become chronic. Damages for lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering could be awarded depending on the details of your case.
3. Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Other injuries you may experience in a car accident include back and spinal cord injuries. These injuries often result in significant pain and long-term health consequences. Back and spinal cord injuries can encompass a variety of conditions, such as whiplash, soft tissue damage, bulging discs, and spinal cord trauma. Such injuries can make it challenging to perform daily tasks, maintain employment, and enjoy the quality of life you had before the car crash. You may need to work with an orthopedic surgeon and have surgery to try to repair the damage. Physical therapy would also be part of your recovery. S
pinal cord injuries are often serious and could lead to loss of sensation throughout your upper body to lower limbs. Bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction may also occur. Symptoms of back and spinal cord injuries may include sharp or burning pain, overall stiffness, discomfort, disorientation, and tingling or numbness.
4. Head Injuries
Head injuries are one of the most dangerous types of injuries after a car accident but unfortunately are common car accident injuries. Various kinds of car accidents can lead to head injuries, including T-bone accidents, head-on collisions, rear-end crashes, and single-car crashes. Car accidents may cause a range of head injuries including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which may happen from the trauma of your brain hitting your skull or your head hitting something in the car, including your steering wheel, airbag, window, dash, or windshield.
TBIs are typically caused by a blow to the head during a car crash. Penetrating head injuries happen when something penetrates the skull and enters the brain and may also cause a TBI. Concussions are considered a more mild form of brain injury but often have lasting consequences. Victims who have concussions will have trouble working for months and their quality of life will likely be greatly diminished. Other TBIs could include internal bleeding to the brain and could lead to permanent impairments and lifelong disability. Emergency brain surgery is required in severe injuries to reduce bleeding and to remove damaged brain tissue. Regardless of the type of head injury, it is critical to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney to evaluate your case.
5. Fractures and Broken Bones
Another of the most common car accident injuries is fractures, which includes broken bones. Arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, hip, face, and collarbone may be affected. Fractures and broken bones will often lead to lost wages, large medical bills, including possible surgeries, and rehabilitation that may involve physical and occupational therapy. There are more than 200 bones in the human body and various types of breaks and fractures happen from car accidents.
While fractures may be mild enough to go unnoticed immediately after an accident, broken bones may have symptoms such as pain when you put weight on a certain area, hearing a crack or snap, and broken skin showing where the bone has broken. Complications can include nerve injury, damage to internal organs if the fracture is near, and injury to blood vessels. Treatment often includes casts or splints, surgery, even reconstructive surgery in some cases, and rehabilitative care. Chronic issues may arise and car accident victims may be left with a reduced quality of life after undergoing a potentially complicated recovery plan.
Other Examples of Injuries Suffered in a Car Accident
- Facial Injuries
Injuries to the face can occur from impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, airbag, or shattered glass, leading to cuts, bruises, fractures, or dental damage. - Chest Injuries
Blunt force trauma from seat belts or airbags can cause chest injuries such as fractured ribs, internal organ damage, or bruising. - Internal Injuries
Damage to internal organs, such as the liver, spleen, or lungs, may result from severe impacts and can be life-threatening without immediate medical attention. - Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Beyond whiplash, TBIs can occur from direct head trauma or violent shaking, causing concussions, contusions, or more severe brain damage. - Psychological Injuries
Emotional and psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, can arise after a serious car accident.
Consult with a South Florida Attorney
Car accidents with serious injuries, liabilities, and damages will likely need an attorney so that the injured person(s) can focus on recovery while the stress of the insurance claims process is taken care of by a legal professional. At Clayton Trial Lawyers, we specialize in taking care of our clients so that they can focus on their recovery from the trauma of a car accident. Contact us today for a consultation.