Hayward Car Accident Injury Factors- Several factors are important in order to figure out the severity of the injury: a) was the car during impact at complete stop, b) did the driver had his foot on a brake? It is important to remember that rapid acceleration is the cause of the injury. If the injured keeps his foot on a brake during the accident, the soft tissue damage will be less extensive. (One could argue that, while the acceleration forces would be reduced, the deceleration forces would be increased, thus increasing injury during that phase of the collision.
- Another factor is a headrest. Was it at the level of the base of a skull or bellow? If it was below the base of a skull ramping is very possible and injuries will be more extensive
- Was the driver embraced for the impact? Embracing in anticipation of a rear end collision helps to protect soft tissue from more severe injuries. Contracted shoulder and neck muscles decrease the acceleration of the head and therefore decreasing the extent of the injuries.
- Age of the driver is a very important factor as well. Driver over fifty years of age have a slower reaction time. Therefore, drivers in this age category are much slower to embrace themselves for the injury. Also at this age osteoarthritis is possible of the spinal column. This could make the person more susceptible to extensive injury in an accident where younger driver could have suffered much less injury or no injury at all.
- Person’s sex is relative. Female patients in our clinic report more severe injuries in a rear end collision, and severity of the pain is much greater as well. The explanation is very simple. Women do not have as much muscle mass as men do, thus they have less ability to embrace themselves.
- Masses of the vehicles that were involved in a MVA have to be taken into consideration. There is a big difference in impact from a small sedan versus full size van or a school bus. Actually, a streetcar moving at 3 miles per hour will deliver the same amount of force as a compact sized automobile traveling at 40 miles per hour.
- Seatbelt on or off is a very important factor as well. Seatbelts save lives but increase the force of a whiplash
- Seat made out of more springy material can act like a driving board and increase the force of the rebound the victim experiences after he/she thrown back against it.
- Many drivers have the habit of leaning toward the steering wheel when they drive. As stated before, this diminishes the bracing effect of the head restraint.
- Often time injured individual will deny a pre existing condition on a belief that it will hurt “personal injury case.” Prior condition almost always increases the severity of the injury and may contribute to predisposing the victim to injury in an accident where, otherwise, he/she may have escaped unscathed.
- Conditions of the road during rear end car accident must be taken into consideration. Accident on a wet surface will cause more damage to the vehicle and to the driver than driving on a dry road. Loss of traction will cause failure in immediate deceleration.
- A recent study shows that 86% of those who had reported acceleration/deceleration injuries were still symptomatic ten years after the accident. Of these, l3% complained of serious disruption of their lives. Clearly, these injuries are serious and can cause significant disabilities. If you want to understand what is going with soft tissue during injury you must read this post: “4 Stages Of Soft Tissue Healing.”
15200 Hesperian Blvd., Ste. 104
San Leandro, CA, 94578
Call NOW for a FREE Consultation
(510) 481-2225
[…] According to statistics people between 3 years old and 33 years old are the ones who are dying on the roads of the United States. 50% of all of the accidents in the USA are caused by drivers who were distracted while driving their automobile. The chances of anyone involved in a auto crash are pretty high due to the fact that we are exposed to too many gadgets while driving – cell phones, videos, interactive GPS. This post is about to prepare you in case you got involve in an automobile accident. […]
[…] of 10 reasons of death in the world, car accident is considered number 9. Road Traffic Safety Administration stated that there motor vehicle […]