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Common auto accident injuries and their recovery times

On Behalf of | Sep 6, 2019 | Personal Injury |

Getting into an accident while driving on Connecticut streets is frustrating enough, but victims who sustain serious injuries may have to deal with taking time off work to heal. In the meantime, bills continue to come in, and financial obligations go unmet.

Aurora Health Care offers insight into the most common auto accident injuries and their recovery times.

Facial injuries

Even while wearing a seat belt, a person’s face may strike the steering wheel during an accident, leading to cuts, bruises and broken bones; surgery may become necessary. The overall intensity of the injuries determines how long they take to heal. Recovering from surgery can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

Brain and head injuries

When the skull hits the steering wheel, window or another hard surface in the vehicle, a head or brain injury such as a concussion can result. With these particular injuries, symptoms do not always present themselves right away, which can prolong recovery. After receiving a concussion diagnosis, overall symptoms often take as many as three weeks to clear. The recovery time for a more severe brain or head injury, such as a subdural hematoma, is difficult to pinpoint, as it depends on the severity of the injury.

Neck injuries

Along with concussions, neck injuries such as whiplash are another common auto accident injury, incurred when the neck whips back and forth. Such injuries can take several weeks before symptoms clear, longer if surgery is necessary. That said, making a complete recovery from a neck injury could take several months.

Spinal cord and back injuries

The back and spinal cord are rather vulnerable in auto accidents. Muscles, tendons and tissues in the back are also susceptible. As far as the general recovery time for such injuries, the window is a few weeks for insignificant strains, but tears and bone injuries often take several months to recover. Direct injuries to the spinal cord often take as long as six months to a year to fully heal.