Drunk Driving

The top five injuries that individuals are most likely to suffer in a drunk driving accident include:

• Injury to the Limbs – Usually consists of broken arms and/or legs, shattered knees, or complications that make walking or standing difficult. These types of injuries can prevent someone from living an active lifestyle.
• Neck Injury – Whiplash is one of the most common neck injuries that victims can suffer in a drunk driving accident but can also experience damage to the larynx or trachea, making eating, breathing, and moving the neck difficult.
• Chest Injuries – These types of injuries can include broken ribs or cracked sternums, both of which can be mitigated by using a seatbelt.
• Spinal Cord Injuries – These types of injuries usually involve partial or complete paralysis in some victims.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – Drunk driving accidents can cause two types of traumatic brain injury
  • Closed – Injury to the head that does not pierce the skull.
  • Penetrating – Injury to the head that is inflicted when projectiles break through the cranium and pierce brain tissue.

Victims that suffer from a TBI are prone to suffer seizures, long-term or permanent damage of physical or cognitive capabilities, behavioral or emotional problems, paralysis, or fall into a coma.

It isn’t uncommon for people who have been involved in a drunk driving accident to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well.