Common Injuries to Back Seat Passengers in Crashes

 Posted on November 24, 2023 in Car Accidents

With the advancement of vehicle safety, drivers and passengers are safer on the road. Even so, more data is highlighting the dangers of being a backseat passenger. 

Unrestrained backseat passengers are more likely to die in a car crash than those wearing seat belts. While buckling up significantly reduces the risk of death, it does not mean that a backseat passenger will be completely safe in a collision.

Our Waukegan car accident lawyers would like to discuss potential injuries facing rear passengers. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Anytime someone experiences a forceful blow or strike to the head, there is the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI may involve something penetrating the skull (open head injury) or blunt trauma to the head without penetration (closed head injury). 

A TBI can also involve no trauma to the head but a blow to the body that results in the head moving rapidly back and forth, which can still cause damage to the brain.

TBI symptoms may include confusion, loss of consciousness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and memory loss.

Bruised Ribs

A rib contusion, or bruised rib, can happen if an object hits your torso, but it can also be caused by a seat belt. Symptoms of bruised ribs may include chest pain, swelling, or tenderness around the bruised rib. 

Spinal Cord Damage

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages from your brain to the rest of the spine. Motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of spinal cord damage. A trauma that damages the vertebrae of the spine can result in loss of sensation or movement below the site of impact, loss of bladder or bowel control, and paralysis.

Internal Bleeding

Not all injuries can be seen. Internal bleeding occurs when blood vessels inside your body are damaged. If you are in a high-speed collision, you may have damage to your internal organs that results in bleeding. 

In a car accident, internal bleeding is likely to occur in the abdomen. This is commonly caused by damage to the liver or spleen. If not treated immediately, this can quickly become life-threatening. 

Neck Injuries

Neck injuries are common in car accidents, especially whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury that commonly occurs in rear-end collisions. It can result from the head accelerating forward and then decelerating, which happens upon the force of impact in a collision. Whiplash may result in injury to the ligaments, muscles, tendons, and nerves in the neck.

Symptoms may include neck pain, stiffness, tingling or numbness in the arms, loss of neck motion, and headaches. 

A Lake County passenger injury lawyer will be able to investigate to determine who is liable for your injuries.

Were You a Back Seat Passenger in a Car Crash? Contact Our Waukegan, IL, Passenger Injury Lawyers Today

With less reliable seat belts in the back seat, you have a higher chance of being injured in an accident as a rear passenger. If you were injured in a car crash, our Lake County, IL, passenger injury lawyers want to hear from you. Contact Salvi & Maher, LLP today online or by calling 847-662-3303 to schedule your free consultation.