Every year in South Carolina, the rate of car accidents resulting in serious injury remains a significant concern. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety’s fact book from 2021, a total of 2,975 individuals reported having serious injuries as a result of being in a car accident, spanning across the state. These statistics include all towns and counties in South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, where the local police department responded to 2,202 car accidents within the same year. Among these Myrtle Beach car accidents, 630 involved injuries, highlighting the frequent occurrence of car accidents and their potential to cause serious bodily injury.
Car accidents can cause more than just minor cuts and bruises, but also severe injuries like gashes, broken bones, and head trauma. While some car accident injuries may heal with time and medical intervention, other more serious injuries can cause chronic health conditions and illnesses that may last for long periods or even for a lifetime. Regardless of severity, the consequences of Myrtle Beach car accidents extend beyond the immediate physical impact. Chronic conditions caused by these accidents can significantly diminish one’s quality of life, causing chronic pain or illness that may never fully dissipate. Thus, the long-term ramifications of car accidents highlight the importance of seeking assistance from an experienced personal injury lawyer.
A personal injury lawyer in Myrtle Beach will be very familiar with the chronic conditions that often follow car accidents, as they regularly advocate for victims seeking compensation and justice. These legal professionals witness firsthand the long-term impacts that can accompany these accidents, including chronic pain, mobility issues, and emotional distress, experienced by survivors long after the collision. If you find yourself grappling with chronic health conditions following a car accident, reaching out to a personal injury lawyer or a pedestrian accident lawyer in Myrtle Beach can be instrumental in navigating the complexities of submitting a claim for compensation, and upholding your rights.
Most Common Chronic Health Conditions Caused By Myrtle Beach Car Accidents
Car accidents can result in a wide range of chronic conditions that encompass both physical and mental health. While the spectrum of potential conditions is vast, certain conditions are more common than others following car accidents. This is mainly due to the nature of the accident and the type of trauma sustained. Understanding the prevalence and variety of these conditions highlights the importance of seeking a comprehensive medical evaluation and legal assistance to address the diverse needs of car accident survivors.
Chronic Pain After A Car Accident
Chronic pain is defined as persistent discomfort lasting more than 12 weeks and presents a significant challenge for many individuals following car accidents. Unlike acute or temporary pain, which serves as a warning signal for injury or illness, chronic pain plagues car accident victims long after the initial trauma. Additionally, chronic pain affects approximately 20% of U.S. adults and can stem from various injuries sustained in a car accident.
The most common types of chronic pain resulting from car accidents include:
- Chronic Back Pain – Affecting approximately 84% of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, chronic back pain often arises from:
- Slipped or bulging discs
- Compression fractures
- Soft tissue damage to back muscles, ligaments, or tendons.
- Chronic Headaches – Chronic headache pain is characterized as pain that is persistent in the form of headaches that occur for at least 15 days per month over three consecutive months. Common types of headaches after car accidents include:
- Tension headaches from stress or fatigue
- Migraines triggered by nervous system factors or hormonal irregularities
- Cluster headaches caused by blood vessel enlargement
- Chronic Joint Pain – Common among car accident victims, joint pain can result from post-traumatic arthritis, where joint inflammation occurs after trauma such as fractures or ligament tears.
- Chronic Nerve Pain – Nerve damage following a car accident can be severe and long-lasting due to injuries sustained. These injuries may vary in severity and can cause prolonged nerve pain and dysfunction. Chronic nerve pain is often caused by:
- Whiplash
- Herniated discs
- Spinal injuries
- Neck injuries
Understanding the diverse causes and types of chronic pain highlights the importance of seeking a comprehensive medical evaluation and ongoing treatment after a car accident. It’s important to recognize the complex needs of individuals enduring post-accident chronic pain in order to seek compensation.
Chronic Brain Injury After Car Accident
There are several types of chronic brain injuries that can occur as a result of being in a car accident. All of them have long term or even lifelong consequences that not only affect the victim’s lives, but those of their loved ones as well.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) resulting from car accidents are a common chronic health condition. Following a car accident, TBI’s can have several detrimental impacts on individuals, including:
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Anger
- Necessity to relearn basic living skills
While individuals often recover from mild TBI’s, moderate to severe cases present considerable challenges, sometimes altering the characteristics of the affected person’s personality and capabilities. Rehabilitation from moderate to severe TBI’s typically involves years of speech, physical, and behavioral therapy. Sometimes, even after years of rehabilitation, progress can be very minimal, making traumatic brain injuries a chronic health condition after a car accident.
Among the diverse spectrum of chronic brain injuries, hematomas and hemorrhages can also be severe health conditions that can be caused by car accidents. Hematomas, characterized by blood clots within or around the brain, pose dangerous risks that often require surgical intervention to mitigate potential long-term or fatal consequences. Types of hematomas include:
- Intracerebral hematoma (within the brain)
- Epidural hematoma (outside the brain)
- Subdural hematoma (between the brain and the dura mater).
Similarly, hemorrhages, which are characterized as bleeding in the brain or its protective membranes, demand urgent medical attention and may require surgery to save an individual’s life. Brain hemorrhages are a type of chronic brain injury that poses distinct threats to neurological health following a traumatic car accident, and may take a long time to recover from.
Chronic Autoimmune Illnesses After Car Accidents
Chronic illness following a car accident can manifest in various forms, often extending beyond the direct physical impact of the collision. Chronic autoimmune conditions that stem from car accidents can include conditions such as:
- Fibromyalgia
- Thyroid disorders
These conditions have been linked to injuries sustained in car accidents, particularly those affecting the head, neck, and spine. The Journal of Endocrine Practice highlights various cases where car accident trauma from a seatbelt across the shoulder led to thyroid lesions in victims. The thyroid gland plays a pivotal role in regulating metabolism and calcium levels, therefore injuries to this gland can trigger autoimmune disorders and chronic conditions long after the initial injuries have healed, some of which contributing to heart disease.
Following a car accident, individuals may experience a spectrum of chronic autoimmune conditions, each presenting unique challenges and symptoms.
- Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread muscle pain and stiffness and often accompanies fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) can rear its ugly head post car accident, particularly after serious nerve damage. CRPS often results in intense burning, shooting pains, weakness, discoloration, muscle spasms, and other debilitating symptoms.
- Chronic pain syndrome (CPS), another prevalent chronic health condition, arises from trauma to the nervous system, leading to persistent pain lasting over six months. This pain can vary in severity and affect multiple areas of the body.
Considering the potential for nervous system trauma from various car accident injuries, including spinal cord damage and soft tissue injuries, understanding and addressing these chronic pain conditions are essential for comprehensive recovery and management.
