If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident in Australia before, you may have some understanding of how much car accident injuries can disrupt your life. According to Australian Institute for Health and Welfare statistics, transportation is the third-highest cause of injury hospitalisations in 2023–24, with motor vehicles being the leading mode of transport.
In Australia, the most common car crash injuries include broken bones, whiplash, and other soft-tissue damage. While modern vehicle safety technology has significantly lowered fatality rates, these advancements can’t prevent car crashes due to human error or negligent driving behaviour.
Unfortunately, even minor accidents can lead to serious injuries, and they’re not just physical. A vehicle crash can also cause psychological injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder. What makes this situation particularly risky, though, is how adrenaline and stress hormones can hide pain and injury signs for hours or even days after the initial crash.
Our comprehensive legal guide will walk you through the most common car accident injuries, covering:
And the critical steps to take to protect both your health and legal rights following a motor vehicle crash.
If negligent driving caused your car accident injuries, you might be eligible to file an injury claim. Moreover, Australian compensation laws protect your right to seek legal damages, even if you were partly to blame for the collision. You can consult a lawyer at any stage in the claims process for guidance about your legal standing.
The Car Accident Compensation Lawyers provide a free initial consultaton that explains the following:
Pay only for a win and zero if you lose. It’s free to learn your options. Call 1800 860 777
According to the Australian National Road Safety Strategy data, about 40,000 people suffer serious injuries from car crashes annually, with more than 1,200 fatal accidents. The severity of injury ranges dramatically depending on factors such as:
Although modern vehicles are designed to protect occupants in a crash, the human body remains vulnerable to injury even from minor impacts. That’s because the rapid deceleration that occurs when a vehicle hits a moving or stationary object creates tremendous forces that can cause soft tissue injuries, fractures, internal injuries and more.
Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries because it occurs in approximately 75% of survivable vehicle crashes, especially rear-end collisions.
Whiplash injuries occur from the rapid backwards and forward movement of the head during a sudden impact, which strains neck muscles, ligaments, and other cervical spine structures.
Because whiplash injuries can take some time to develop, you should seek medical attention immediately after a car accident, even if you have no symptoms. This characteristic makes it one of the least noticeable of the common car crash injuries.
Aside from whiplash, common neck injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents include symptoms such as:
Getting medical attention and physical therapy right away can help prevent problems from getting worse and avoid or minimise chronic pain. If you don’t get the proper care, whiplash injuries can cause symptoms that last for months or years after the accident.
Among the common injuries from car crashes are traumatic brain injuries. In fact, stats from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveal that traffic-related injuries account for 14-20% of moderate to severe head injuries treated in emergency departments in Australia.
Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can occur after a car accident. In this situation, you could injure your brain even without a direct head impact because of the rapid acceleration and deceleration of a collision.
Symptoms of concussions can range from headaches to memory loss and mood changes. More severe traumatic brain injuries include:
Spinal cord damage represents one of the most severe common injuries from car accidents. That’s because any sudden collision could cause back injuries like damaged vertebrae, ligaments, or the spinal cord itself, either as a fracture, dislocation or direct trauma.
Some car accident victims suffer spine injuries that can lead to severe disability (whole person impairment) and a decreased quality of life.
The severity of a spinal cord injury depends on where the injury occurred and the extent of damage. The worst back injuries potentially affect breathing and all other limb functions. Spinal cord injuries may result in:
Broken bones are one of the most common injuries that happen in car crashes. That’s because a rapid impact puts stress on bones that is beyond what they can handle. Bone fractures can be:
The most commonly affected areas include:
Limb injuries are among the most common injuries sustained in car accidents, including knees and shoulders. When a car accident happens, the sudden jolt can throw the body against restraints or strike parts of the vehicle. In this case, injuries range from broken bones to nerve damage or restricted movement in the arms and legs.
In severe cases, limb or knee injuries may lead to long-term disability that qualifies for a TPD claim.
Car accident victims who suffer limb damage should seek immediate medical attention because early treatment can help prevent further complications and increase the chance of a complete recovery, particularly for multiple injuries.
When a vehicle hits another car or a stationary object, the power of the impact can strain muscles, ligaments, and joints in a way that isn’t normal and hurts them. Soft tissue injuries, such as sprains, can often go unnoticed for a few hours or days after an accident.
Internal injuries are some of the most dangerous things that can happen in a car accident because they may not be visible right away and can hurt vital organs without any external signs of damage. These hidden injuries aren’t obvious until there is blood loss or chronic pain and can include:
Symptoms can come on slowly and include abdominal pain, swelling, pale skin, dizziness, or unstable blood flow. Such injuries often need pain management and surgical intervention to avoid long-term damage to vital organs or fatal outcomes.
During car crashes, broken glass, twisted metal, and damaged parts of the vehicle can cut and tear skin. Such injuries range from:
On the other hand, surgical intervention is often needed for very severe cuts, like “degloving” injuries, where skin and tissue underneath it are pulled away from deeper structures. Permanent scarring is a common result, which can be seen as long-term damage for an injury claim.
Severe burns can occur from multiple sources during motor vehicle accidents, including contact with
Furthermore, the chemicals used in airbag inflation can cause facial or arm burns, particularly when vehicle occupants are positioned too close to the airbags when they expand.
Common car crash injuries are not just physical. Beyond physical injuries, a severe car crash often leaves deep psychological wounds. Frequently, post-traumatic stress disorder is a typical result. It’s estimated that about 30% of accident victims with physical trauma will also need treatment for related psychological injuries to achieve full recovery. People with mental trauma from car crashes can experience
Sometimes, the fear and anxiety associated with driving can persist for months or years without proper treatment.
Unfortunately, psychological injuries are often overlooked in emergency departments, which is why recognition and treatment of mental health symptoms are integral to comprehensive accident injury care.
According to research from Australia Rotary Health, between 16% and 21% of car accident victims will experience PTSD symptoms from a car crash. These symptoms include:
Risk factors for developing Post-traumatic stress disorder after a car accident include:
One of the most dangerous aspects of car accident injuries is that you may not feel symptoms for hours, days, or even months after the initial trauma. That’s because adrenaline and shock can mask pain and injury indicators, creating a false sense of well-being immediately after a road accident. Common delayed symptoms include:
The above symptoms may appear gradually as inflammation develops, swelling increases, or as the initial shock response subsides.
Hidden injuries that commonly present with delayed symptoms include:
You should seek medical attention after an accident, even if you have no symptoms, because this creates a medical record of the original incident. Furthermore, identifying and treating injuries early can prevent minor issues from escalating into significant, long-lasting problems.
Delayed symptoms can also impact the assessment of whole-person impairment, which is used to determine eligibility to claim compensation and the calculation of benefits or lump sum payments in injury claims.
Most injuries require medical treatment after a motor vehicle accident, even if they are minor and have few symptoms. Often, such injuries take a while to surface. Immediate medical attention and emergency services are often required for conditions such as:
Warning signs that demand immediate emergency care include:
Such injuries need immediate medical attention to avoid severe and lasting consequences.
Even symptoms that seem unrelated to the accident should be assessed by a healthcare provider, as the forces involved in crashes can cause unexpected injury patterns.
Seeking medical attention promptly also creates necessary documentation for potential legal claims and insurance purposes.
If you have suffered car accident injuries caused by the negligence of others, the Car Accident Compensation Lawyers QLD can explain your eligibility to make a compensation claim during a free initial consultation.
All our legal services come with a 100% no-win, no-fee, no-risk guarantee. Pay for a win and nothing if you lose. Call 1800 860 777
Whiplash injuries are the most common type of physical damage after a motor vehicle accident, impacting about 75% of accident survivors in Australia.
Back-related car accident injuries range from soft tissue damage to spine injuries like fractures, bulging or herniated discs and nerve damage. The most severe injuries can result in permanent impairment.
The highest car accident payouts are generally for catastrophic damage, such as spinal cord injuries and severe TBI (traumatic brain damage). Fatal car accidents can also involve substantial settlement values.
