Car accidents happen frequently. When they do, they’re sometimes not very serious. For instance, you might have a minor fender bender. If so, you may walk away without much automotive damage and without any lasting trauma.
Sometimes, though, a car accident can completely change your life. It can change your outlook, or maybe it has lasting physical effects.
We will talk about how car accidents can change you right now.
Page Contents
Different Car Accident Varieties
We’ll first mention some different car accident types. In 2020, 41.6% of car crashes involved rear-end collisions. That number stays fairly consistent year after year.
These accident types sometimes have little impact. If the two cars involved collide and they’re not going fast, you might walk away unscathed. You may injure yourself if a car rear-ends you, though. We’ll discuss that in detail a little later.
Some car accidents involve vehicles T-boning other cars. That type often causes more damage and more severe injuries. If you think about how the car and passengers can jolt when a vehicle strikes them from the side, you can see why.
You might have a side-swipe collision. A car might hit another vehicle by scraping along its flank. This usually happens if one driver changes lanes without signaling, and the other driver can’t swerve and avoid them. Maybe they can’t get over in time, or there’s another car on the other side preventing that.
You might survive a head-to-head collision. These accidents don’t happen as much, but when they do, they’re often deadly. They most frequently occur if someone drives up a one-way street or exit ramp, thinking they’re going in the right direction. Many times, drunk drivers do this.
Injuries You Can Sustain in Car Accidents
When you consider life-altering changes following car accidents, the collision type usually comes into play. Fender benders can sometimes occur, and if the car striking you from behind isn’t going fast, you might sustain no injury at all. On the other hand, you might suffer whiplash.
Whiplash can hurt quite a bit, depending on the severity. You can usually recover in weeks or months.
You might need over-the-counter pain meds and hot or cold compresses. You may need a neck brace as well. Usually, these wrecks are not fatal unless the car striking you hits you with great velocity.
If a car T-bones your vehicle, that can cause more serious injuries. These collisions can break bones. If you break a bone, you will have a lengthy recovery time. You may also suffer contusions and lacerations.
Side-swipe car accidents do not usually cause very bad injuries. If the two cars collide on the highway, though, the high speed might cause a loss of vehicular control. That can cause more serious and lasting harm.
Head-to-head car wrecks usually cause the worst injuries. When two cars hit going toward each other, if they’re traveling fast, that impact can cause internal injuries. It can cause traumatic brain injuries if one or both drivers hit the dashboard or steering wheel.
Permanent Injuries
In cases where permanent injuries arise following car accidents, you might have a very tough time. Maybe you lose a limb following a car accident if the collision mangled an arm or leg.
You might have permanent brain damage following a TBI. You may have a spinal cord injury, and now you can’t walk very well, or maybe you’re in a wheelchair from that point forward.
In all these cases, you must learn your new capabilities. Maybe you can do some things you could before, but not everything. In time, you may recover somewhat, but you must figure out what activities you can no longer attempt or enjoy.
Maybe you can’t ride a bike with your kids. Perhaps you can’t walk around the neighborhood. Maybe you can’t play in amateur league sports anymore.
You may not have the same physical intimacy with your spouse or partner. You might also experience lasting psychological harm.
Your Mental State
After a very bad car accident that injures you, you might not feel happy so much anymore. You may experience some depression or anxiety. You may miss your previous capabilities.
You might seek therapy and discuss your problems. The therapist might prescribe some antidepressants if they feel that’s warranted. They may also have you meditate or try other exercises to get you into a better mental state.
You might not have the same job you once did. Maybe you must abandon your entire profession if you can’t work outside the home anymore. Some careers can continue after serious car wrecks when you work at home. In other cases, though, you can’t do that.
Your Relationships May Change
You might not have the same relationships that you did before. Maybe you don’t feel the same intimacy with your spouse or partner. Perhaps you can’t muster the same energy or cheerful attitude around your kids or other family members.
You might lose friendships as well. Maybe you resent your friends who did not experience this traumatic incident that changed your life so dramatically.
You May Struggle Following These Accidents
You might get back on your feet after these serious car accidents, but even if you did not sustain any notable physical changes, you may still never feel quite the same. Maybe you receive a PTSD diagnosis, and you feel anxious, irritable, or paranoid. You may shake when you get in cars now, and perhaps you’ll never drive again.
You might take only public transportation from now on. Perhaps you’ll take an Uber or Lyft when you get around because you feel you can’t drive.
These accidents can change your entire life’s course. If that happens, it sometimes takes enormous effort to return to a positive mental state.
Many times, you can eventually achieve some equilibrium if you attend therapy sessions and get some pharmaceutical intervention. You might not have the same life you did before, but hopefully, you can still find it fulfilling.
Leave a Reply