Common Personal Injuries
Below is a list of common injuries diagnosed in victims of personal injury cases. The list below will start with the most common and industry termed “soft-tissue” injuries then move forward in alphabetical order.
Whiplash – is a nontechnical term used to describe a variety of injuries to the neck. The neck injury is most often is used to represent is a hyperextention-hyperflextion injury.
Hyperextension-Hyperflexion – translates to extreme extension or extreme flexion. This type of injury can lead to what is also called Strain/Sprain of the cervical spine.
Strain/Sprain – Strain is defined as the stretching of muscles or tendons beyond their usual limits; may be very painful at first but this does not produce any lasting effects. Sprain is defined as trauma to a joint which causes pain and disability depending on the degree of injury to ligaments. If you experience a severe sprain the ligaments can be completely torn.
Cervical Strain/Sprain – Strain/Sprain to the cervical section of the spine which is located from the base of the skull to bottom of the neck.
Thoracic Strain/Sprain – Strain/Sprain to the thoracic section of the spine which is located from the base of your neck to your diaphragm.
Lumbar Strain/Sprain – Strain/Sprain to the lumbar section of the spine which extends from the mid back to the pelvis.
We advise all of our clients to seek medical attention at the first onset of any discomfort or pain. However, if you first believed that you only experienced a strain/sprain injury but your symptoms do not subside within a couple of weeks, seek medical attention immediately because something more serious may be at play.
Abrasion – scraping away a portion of the skin as a result of injury
Bruise – irregular shaped hemorrhage under the skin. May first appear as blue-black, then green, brown or yellow. Also known as Contusion.
Burn – damage or injury to the skin or underlying tissues caused by fire, heat electricity or chemicals.
1st degree – superficial burn with damage confined to epidermis; skin turn red becomes tender and is painful, but not blistered.
2nd degree – burn that extends from the epidermis into the dermis, characterized by blistering and swelling.
3rd degree – burn that destroys both the epidermis and dermis and damages or destroys underlying tissues, blisters may or may not be present.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – pain, numbness, or weakness of muscles in the hand, finger, or wrist caused by compression of the median nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel.
Cerebral Concussion – injury where the brain has been violently shaken about, usually as a result of a blow to the head.
Some common symptoms to watch for if you suspect that there may have been an impact to the head.
Physical Symptoms – the most common symptom associated with a cerebral concussion is a Headache, however several other symptoms may arise such as dizziness, nausea, impaired use of physical faculties and motor functions, vomiting, difficulty balancing, and ringing in the ears. In addition to those listed above there are some visual symptoms such as light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision or seeing light spots.
Cognitive and Emotional Symptoms – confusion, disorientation, difficulty focusing, and post-traumatic amnesia.
Children may display symptoms of a concussion differently than adults. Be sure to watch for any loss in interest in favorite activities, crankiness, restlessness, lethargy, and irritability, tearfulness, and displays of emotion that are inappropriate to the situation.
Dislocation – displacement of any body part especially temporary displacement of a bone from its normal position in a joint.
Fracture – a broken bone
Articular fracture – type of fracture that extends into the joint.
Avulsion fracture – type of fracture where the bone is torn out of its normal position.
Basal fracture – fracture located at the base of the skull.
Comminuted fracture – type of fracture where the bone is broken or splintered into two or more pieces
Complete fracture - type of fracture where the bone is broken completely through
Complicated fracture – type of fracture where a bone fragment has injured an internal organ
Compound fracture – type of fracture where the bone is broken and an external wound leads to the fracture site, or a piece of none extends through the skin.
Compression fracture – type of fracture where a vertebra is crushed between the ones above and below it.
Depressed fracture – type of fracture where a piece of the skull is driven into the brain.
Displaced fracture – type of fracture where the bone fragments are out of alignment.
Greenstick fracture – type of fracture where the bone is partially bent and partially broken.
Impacted fracture – type of fracture where one bone fragment is wedged into a piece of another bone fragment.
Incomplete fracture – type of fracture where the bone is not broken completely through.
Linear fracture – type of fracture where there is a crack in the bone, but bone does not break into pieces.
Simple fracture – type of fracture where there is no external wound leading to the fracture site.
Spiral fracture – type of fracture where the fracture line winds around the bone.
Undisplaced fracture - type of fracture where the bone fragments are not out of alignment.
Hernia – protrusion of an organ or a part of ana organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it.
Herniated Disc – a rupture or herniation of the nucleus within an intervertebral disc, usually between lumbar vertebrae, causing pain and/or numbness on the affected side.
Laceration – an irregular tear in the flesh.
Spasms “muscle spasms” – convulsive muscular contraction or involuntary sudden movement.
Subluxation – partial or incomplete dislocation
Trauma – physical injury or wound caused by violent or external force.
