Financial Recovery for Steering Wheel Injuries
Although many people don’t realize it, some of the most severe head and chest injuries that car accident victims experience occur because the force of their impact caused them to strike their steering wheels. Fortunately, like other car accident-related injuries, physical injuries caused by steering wheels are compensable in Florida.
How Steering Wheel Injuries Occur
Steering wheel injuries occur when a driver’s head, chest, or abdomen strike the steering wheel, with the force of a collision propelling the driver forward. Even with the protections of seatbelts and airbags, the impact can be significant enough to cause serious injuries. How severe a resulting steering wheel injury is, however, will depend on a number of factors, including:
- The vehicle’s speed at the time of the crash;
- The direction if impact;
- Whether the driver was wearing a seat belt;
- Whether the airbags in the vehicle deployed properly;
- The design and material of the steering wheel; and
- How close the driver was sitting to the steering wheel.
Resulting steering wheel injuries can range in severity from bruising and abrasions to head trauma and even internal bleeding.
Common Steering Wheel Injuries
The type and severity of a steering wheel injury will vary depending on the seriousness of the collision, but some of the most common include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can occur when the head strikes the steering wheel and are often accompanied by headaches, confusion, dizziness, and nausea or vomiting;
- Facial injuries, including abrasions, bruising, lacerations, and fractures, which can also occur when the face strikes the steering wheel upon impact;
- Fractures, especially to the arms, ribs, hands, and wrists;
- Internal bleeding, which can occur as a result of the forceful impact between the steering wheel and chest or abdomen; and
- Soft tissue injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and typically result in swelling, pain, and a reduced range of motion.
Diagnosing and treating these kinds of injuries can be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, accident victims who can prove that someone else was responsible for their crash could recover reimbursement for their medical bills.
Recovering Compensation
Car accident victims who sustain steering wheel injuries can still receive compensation for those injuries. This is because Florida is a no-fault state, so all drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance of up to $10,000. These policies will cover a victim’s medical expenses up to a certain limit, regardless of fault. If, however, a steering wheel injury reaches the level of “serious”, victims could step outside the no-fault system and seek compensation directly from the at-fault party who caused the crash.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you are dealing with a steering wheel injury and have questions about how you will pay your medical bills, please call Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 and set up a consultation with one of our experienced Florida car accident attorneys. Our legal team can walk you through filing an insurance claim and help you explore your other legal options for seeking compensation after your crash.
Sources:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24854313/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15635309/
