If you or your loved one have been involved in a drunk driving accident, you probably suffered very serious injuries. Aside from truck accidents, drunk driving accidents tend to be the most serious kind. When someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they have no appreciation for how fast they’re going or how dangerously they’re driving. What ends up happening is people like you, innocent motorists, get hurt. Our Baltimore accident lawyers meet with drunk driving accident victims often enough to know how serious their injuries are.

Here, we will discuss why drunk driving accidents are so dangerous to begin with. We will also explain the more common injuries we see with these types of crashes. If you still have questions about your own drunk driving accident, contact our office directly. You can schedule your free consultation over the phone or through our website. Take the time to sit down with one of our accident attorneys in Baltimore so they can review your case and let you know how best to proceed.

Drunk Driving Accidents Tend to be More Serious Than Other Accidents

As briefly mentioned above, drunk driving accidents tend to be a lot more serious than other motor vehicle accidents. In a regular car accident, you may suffer whiplash or a broken bone or two. However, when it comes to drunk driving accidents, most people’s injuries are much more severe. Some of the more common injuries we see with drunk driving accidents include the following:

• traumatic brain injury
• neck injuries
• back injuries
• broken bones
• spinal cord injuries
• nerve damage
• lacerations and facial disfigurement
• burn injuries

If you have suffered any of these, you may be entitled to significant compensation. Of course, your accident attorney in Baltimore must first prove your injuries. They also must prove that the other driver was at fault. Once they have done this, however, they can move on to prove your damages.

You Could End Up with a Traumatic Brain Injury

A person can experience a traumatic brain injury if they suffer a severe blow to the head. This can happen in a variety of ways. One of the reasons they’re so common in drunk driving accidents is that your body may be jostled about in your vehicle upon impact. You could bang your head on the roof of your car or your head may even go through the windshield. There’s always the off chance that you could be ejected from the car and injure your head that way as well.

The problem with traumatic brain injuries is that you may not know that you have one until it’s too late. It could be days or even weeks before you start to notice the symptoms and side effects of this type of injury. This is why our Baltimore accident lawyers always suggest you go to the hospital immediately following your crash. Even if you’re a doctor, there is no way to diagnose this type of injury on your own. If left untreated, a traumatic brain injury can prove very serious or even fatal.

Many Drunk Driving Accident Victims End Up Needing Surgery

People who are injured in a drunk driving accident often need surgery or multiple surgeries. For example, if you suffer internal bleeding, the doctors in the emergency room will need to schedule surgery right away. The same is true if you suffer a brain injury. The most important thing is that the doctors relieve any pressure on your brain as quickly as possible.

If you do need surgery after your crash, there’s a good chance you will be out of work for quite some time. Your Baltimore accident lawyer will demand that you be fairly compensated for this time. Furthermore, if you are no longer able to do the same kind of work you did prior to your accident, your lawyer will also demand damages for lost future income. What they will do is take the difference between what you would have earned versus what you will now earn and multiply that by the number of years left until retirement.

You’ll Likely Suffer Neck and Back Injuries

It’s almost a given that people who are involved in drunk driving accidents suffer either a neck or back injury. The part of your body that is at the greatest exposure in any type of collision will be your upper body. Depending on the nature of the impact, and the direction in which your car is hit, you could suffer any or all of the following:

• Spinal cord injury-If any part of your spine is severed during the accident, you may find yourself partially or totally paralyzed after the crash. Hopefully, if you get to the hospital quickly enough, they will be able to perform surgery to mitigate any damage caused.
• Herniated or slipped discs-If you had a bad back before the accident, there’s a very good chance it will get worse as a result of the crash. When you go to the hospital, they can perform the necessary tests to see if you’ve suffered any issues with your discs. If so, you may need surgery. At a minimum, you will need long term physical therapy and possibly chiropractic care before you can get back on your feet.
• Nerve damage-Nerve damage is very common in drunk driving accidents. The problem with nerve damage is that it can impact you for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, there is not a lot the doctors can do to treat nerve pain other than give you medication.

Your Baltimore Accident Lawyer Will Demand Compensation for Your Injuries

Regardless of the type of injuries you suffer, your Baltimore accident lawyer will demand that you be compensated. Not only will they demand that you be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket medical expenses, but they will also demand that you be paid damages for pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages are meant to compensate you for any mental or physical anguish you experience as a result of the drunk driving accident. Typically, they make up the lion’s share of your damages.

You Need to Focus on Recovering from Your Injuries Right Now

It can be difficult to deal with the insurance company when you’re trying to recover from your injuries. People who are involved in drunk driving accidents tend to suffer much more serious injuries than other people. As seen here, these injuries can range from a brain injury to a spinal cord injury. It all depends on the severity of your crash. If the defendant was both drunk and speeding at the time of the accident, you could be in for a long recovery. Rather than try to handle this on your own, you should contact our office. You can schedule your free, initial consultation with one of our seasoned Baltimore accident lawyers.

When you first sit down with your accident attorney in Baltimore, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. While we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have, it’s also important that we review your medical records. Since you can only be compensated for injuries you actually suffered, it’s important that your Baltimore accident lawyer have a copy of your recent medical records. Not only will this help them determine the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, but it will also help them prove that you’re entitled to damages for pain and suffering.

We suggest that you call our office as soon as possible after your drunk driving accident. This will give you a chance to schedule your free, initial consultation with one of our accident attorneys in Baltimore.