Three Facial Injuries Most Often Caused by Car Accidents
When involved in a car or truck accident, realizing you have sustained injuries to the face (or head injury) can be a common and frightening event. Since the face is completely exposed, soft tissue injuries and slashes from flying glass or metal can create a significant amount of pain and require ongoing reconstruction treatments and surgical interventions.
Most of the time, victims are still left with scars or disfigured appearances for the rest of their lives. Some facial injuries are actually a combination of multiple painful fractures and intracranial hemorrhages. These injuries can prove fatal when not properly diagnosed or timely treated so it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Here is a quick review of three facial injuries most often caused by motor vehicle accidents.
1. Soft Tissue Injuries: Facial soft tissue injuries are not uncommon in motor vehicle accidents. In fact, they are the most prevalent of traumatic craniofacial injuries encountered by emergency department personnel and plastic surgeons.
These injuries typically happen when a driver or passenger receives a blow to the face by another object, are burned, lacerated by glass or metal, or when the face collides with an obstruction. Airbags often cause these injuries as the force of the impact by the airbag can cause very damaging injuries. Swelling or infection may present within hours or days after a soft tissue injury, making it more difficult to document in the moments after a car accident.
2. Facial Fractures: Facial fractures are broken bones anywhere on the face. The main types of facial fractures related to car crashes include a broken nose or cheekbones, forehead injuries, and a broken upper and lower jaw. Some symptoms such as pain, swelling, nosebleeds, problems with eyesight, restricted jaw movement, and bruising can be related to facial fractures.
3. Bruises and Intracranial Hemorrhage: A contusion is a bruise caused by a direct blow, crushing underlying muscle and tissue without breaking the skin. A contusion can result from being slammed into a steering wheel, window, airbag, console or even your seatbelt or another passenger during an auto accident.
Hemorrhages that occur within the face or head generally happen suddenly and are a possible result of being involved in a car wreck. A hemorrhage can rapidly cause brain damage and be life-threatening. It is important to get to a hospital emergency room immediately to begin medical treatment.
Also related to the face, serious head injuries are sometimes referred to as Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). This type of injury often creates serious long-term effects and disability that will require life-altering decisions to be made by individuals and their families.
Symptoms of traumatic brain injury, also known as a closed-head injury, include memory loss, anxiety, speech problems, vision issues, problems with putting thoughts and words together and headaches.
Anytime you are involved in a car or truck accident, whether it’s in Detroit, Grand Rapids or Saginaw, you should seek help from a medical doctor to ensure your body is moving and your mind is operating the way it should.
As you begin the recovery process, it is important to take the time to collect your accident photos, medical bills, out-of-pocket costs and make notes about how the crash has impacted your life. You should also speak with a Michigan personal injury lawyer, even if the driver who caused the accident is uninsured.
Multidisciplinary care is common for facial injury patients and costs, including medical expenses and lost wages, will add up fast.
Talk to a Michigan Car Accident Attorney
Drivers and passengers who suffer facial injuries caused by a car accident may be entitled to compensation to help cover related medical costs, income loss, and recovery needs.
Please share your story with our motor vehicle accident attorneys at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) or fill out the Free Case Evaluation Form. And remember, you pay nothing until we win or settle your car accident case.
