Any Florida lawyer will tell you – car accidents are among the most frequent personal injury cases they see. That is because auto accidents are so prolific and common, especially in a state as populous as ours. Add to the typical hazards of driving the fact that we have so many tourists who are not familiar with the roads, and you have a perfect storm of dangerous roads. In fact, I-4 and I-75 are among the most dangerous highways in the country.
Motor vehicle accidents comprise a significant amount of injury claims in Florida annually. It only stands to reason that with so many accidents, many medical conditions and injuries need treatment.
What Do the Numbers Say?
There is an average of just over 1,100 car accidents every day in Florida – with a total of 403, 626 accidents occurring annually. (Source: Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles FLHSMV)
Approximately 256,000 of those accidents result in injuries, 19,000 of which are severe. These injuries are incapacitating in nature and require more in-depth care than alignment or spinal manipulation.
That leaves approximately 237,000 accidents per year in Florida, which cause injuries of varying degrees that the accident victim will need to treat and hopefully overcome. Across the United States, that number is 2.35 million injured annually.
Types of Accidents
- 58 percent of police-reported car accidents involved only one vehicle.
- 38 percent of car accidents resulted from a collision with another vehicle.
- 40 percent of car accidents involved hitting a fixed object such as a tree or street sign -or a rollover accident.
- Most car accidents occur June through September.
- 48 percent of all accidents took place after dark.
Additional Car Accident Facts
- Although there are more women drivers on the road, approximately 80% of car accidents involve male drivers.
- Passenger cars are the leading type of vehicle involved in these crashes at 40%, with light trucks (such as vans and pickups) comprising 38% of our roads’ accidents.
- The most frequent causes of these accidents are drunk driving (32%), speeding (31%), distracted driving (16%), and bad weather (11%).
Most Common Car Accident Injuries
The most common injuries caused by Florida car accidents are :
Whiplash: Results in neck pain and stiffness, loss of range of motion, or worsening pain with movement.
Concussions: Symptoms of a concussion may include headache, pressure, temporary loss of consciousness, feeling dizzy, or ringing in the ears. Concussions can occur without the head actually making contact with any surface, and symptoms may take a few hours to appear. Concussions can cause significant health issues, so you may want to seek treatment if you’re having difficulty concentrating or focusing.
Bone Fractures: Broken bones are the result of the blunt force of the crash. Any bone can break in a car accident, but the most common fractures are the hands, arms, feet, and legs. Symptoms of broken or fractured bones include bruising, swelling, severe pain, deformity, or loss of function.
Musculoskeletal Injuries: These injuries occur when muscles, ligaments, tendons or nerves are stretched, compressed or bent during an accident. Severe cases can be just as painful as a broken bone and can adversely affect movement and function. Soft tissue damage is a possibility.
Car accidents affect people from all demographics, and you most likely have been in an accident at some point in your life. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury due to a car accident and seek relief from pain, call the doctors at West Coast Wellness. Our gentle techniques and approach to holistic health can help put you on the road to recovery.
Links to Learn More about Car Accident Stats: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Filed Under: Accident Clinic
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