Injuries to Watch Out for After Being Involved in a Pileup Accident
Jayden, one of the most dangerous winter storms to move across the Midwest in more than a decade, was the cause of a handful of multi-vehicle crashes, spin-outs, and pileups due to its accompanying weather-related road hazards. The accidents left many Michigan drivers and their passengers injured while others waited long hours on clogged, cold freeways to exit safely.
According to Michigan State Police (MSP), the storm brought a mix of black ice, snow, slush, and limited visibility caused by blowing winds and was responsible for several crashes and spin-outs, including a 24-car pileup near Kalamazoo. Reports also show a portion of M-6 east was closed in Kent County due to a multi-vehicle crash that left both eastbound and westbound lanes closed for most of an afternoon. Additionally, at least 15 cars were involved in several multi-vehicle collisions on I-196 east in Ottawa County near Byron Road. MSP responded to another multiple-vehicle crash in Ottawa County on I-96 eastbound in Coopersville near Sixteenth Avenue, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported a multi-car pileup on I-96 near Marne due to the storm.
Several smaller crashes involving multiple vehicles were reported by Metro Detroit and Michigan State Police officers along nearly a dozen slippery ramps and overpasses throughout the city. Thankfully, only minor injuries to occupants of both passenger vehicles and large trucks were noted at the accident scenes. Many of the multi-vehicle crashes were rear-impact or side-impact accidents.
Common Injuries That May Not Present Immediately After a Crash
Anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident can easily become at risk of minor and major physical injuries. But when becoming mixed up in an accident involving many vehicles, the injuries endured are typically more dangerous, especially in pileups that occur at high speeds on busy interstates. Shockingly, the severity of some injuries is sometimes not immediately noticed. This is because in the moments after an accident, adrenaline can cause an injured victim’s pain to present differently. But once the rush subsides pain will increase, and injuries seem to pop up within a couple of hours or even days later. Some of the injuries may prevent the human body from healing correctly, resulting in tough-to-diagnose recurring pain and inflammation. The American College of Emergency Physicians has identified these symptoms to watch out for in the hours and days after a motor vehicle accident.
- increased pain when sitting or moving
- bleeding, swelling, bruising or redness of the skin
- limited range of motion
- muscle weakness
- none or limited feeling in the appendages such as foot or hand
- difficulty walking or even standing
- memory loss
- headache
- vision changes
- fatigue
- any change in behavior
Since the face is completely exposed, soft tissue injuries, facial fractures, and contusions such as intracranial hemorrhages are one of the most noticeable and painful motor vehicle accident related injuries that may require ongoing reconstruction treatments and surgical interventions. Most of the time, these victims are left with scars or disfigured appearances. Some facial injuries are actually a combination of multiple painful fractures and intracranial hemorrhages. These facial injuries can prove fatal when not properly diagnosed or timely treated.
Anytime you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you should seek help from a medical doctor to ensure your body is moving and your mind is operating the way it should. Immediate care will reduce the chance of complications and provide the proper documentation needed to make a case for the incident. Having a proper diagnosis can also prevent any further health issues. In addition, if medical care is not sought right away after an accident, insurance adjusters may deny compensation.
Hidden Dangers of Head, Back and Neck Injuries, Including Whiplash
Most of the car accident victims our attorneys work with are surprised to hear that delayed pain in the back, head and neck, are some of the most common injuries that occur. Sometimes this pain can be overlooked and won’t show up until the victim returns to their daily routine. This pain and discomfort in the head, back, and neck can be caused by whiplash or be a lingering symptom of serious disk damage or a “slip,” putting pressure on the spinal cord and producing debilitating pain. Spinal cord trauma can produce numbness, weakness, and fatigue throughout the body.
Broken Bones, Muscle and Ligament Tears
Serious injuries like broken bones are common for drivers and passengers caught in the front or the middle of an accident pileup. Injuries can become life- threatening because of the chance of not being hit just once, but multiple times from several different directions. Injuries between nerves, connective tissue, joints, and bones will require an immediate diagnosis, surgery and sometimes an amputation to reduce further complications. An exhaustive, painful, and expensive recovery is expected. Serious injuries are often accompanied by other related injuries, such as:
- shattered pelvis
- broken feet
- internal injuries to the abdomen
- knee dislocations
- traumatic brain injuries
- life-threatening soft tissue injuries
- painful muscle and ligament tears
Most traumatic injuries that result from a motor vehicle pileup wreck leave little chance for 100 percent mobility to ever return and permanent nerve damage is likely.
Once a motor vehicle accident victim’s injury has been properly assessed and they are able to begin the recovery process, it is important they make the time to collect accident notes and photos, medical records and doctors’ notes, and speak with a personal injury lawyer. They should do this even if they believe weather was the cause or several different drivers were to blame for the accident. Multidisciplinary care is common for multi-vehicle crash injury patients and costs, including medical expenses and lost wages, will add up fast.
Contact Us Now About Your Michigan Pile-Up Accident Injury
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle crash and believe it was caused by someone else’s poor driving decision, the motor vehicle accident injury attorneys at the Lee Steinberg Law Firm are ready to support your claim. Not only can a personal injury lawsuit help ease financial burdens, it can help create awareness to prevent similar driver errors that pose serious risks to road users when future weather driving hazards are present. Please call and speak to our car accident attorneys at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) or fill out the Free Case Evaluation Form.
