In 2014, comedians James McNair and Tracy Morgan were involved in a terrible New Jersey Turnpike crash that killed McNair and left Morgan with a traumatic brain injury. Prosecutors alleged that the driver of the truck, Kevin Roper, was working for Walmart at the time of the crash and fell asleep at the wheel. A preliminary investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board within weeks of the crash showed Roper was going 20 miles over the speed limit. According to a recent Fox News report, McNair’s children reached a multi-million dollar settlementwith the employer of the at-fault driver. Sadly, car accidents that result in injury or death are all too common.
Common Car Accident Injuries
While car accidents may cause a litany of different injuries that will range from minor cuts and bruises to death, depending on the circumstances of the incident and the severity of the impact, the most common injuries include injuries to the:
- Head and brain – when a person’s head is hit or hits an object violently, generally called a “traumatic brain injury,” resulting symptoms can be mild or severe depending on the extent of damage to the brain. Usually there are no visible signs of trauma, however, the brain may have been bruised, swollen or bleed as a result of the injury.
- Neck – mild forms of this type of injury include whiplash or neck strain, but can result in more serious injuries such as cervical dislocation and disc injury.
- Back – the lower back is the most common area that is injured and includes sprains, strains, fractured vertebrae and herniated discs.
- Spinal cord – when disc material, displaced bone fragments, or ligaments make a bruise or tear in the spinal cord tissue, nerve cells can be damaged, which affects the signals that are sent between the brain and the spine to the rest of the body creating loss of function or feeling.
- Internal organs – damage to the kidneys, liver, bowels, lungs, spleen, heart or aorta can be serious and should be treated immediately.
- Face - these types of injuries are likely because during impact the driver’s face may hit the steering wheel, and a driver or passengers alike may suffer facial injuries from air bag deployment, windshield, side windows or shattered glass.
In addition to physical injuries, victims of a car accident may also suffer psychological damage – temporary or permanent – in the form of emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as anxiety and depression.
Help Available in Charleston
If you are seeking dedicated and aggressive car accident attorneys in South Carolina, call Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC today. With decades of experience representing the injured, the attorneys and staff will fight diligently to obtain the compensation you deserve.