Vehicle ejection is one of the worst things that can happen to a victim after a car accident in Cobb County. In this type of incident, the force of a collision throws a victim out of their vehicle and onto the roadway. After the initial impacts, the victim remains vulnerable to many additional hazards – including passing vehicles. It may be possible to recover from these injuries, assuming victims gain access to effective medical treatment. However, many of these incidents also prove fatal.
Ejection From Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Scooters
The most serious ejection-related injuries often stem from motorcycle, bicycle, and scooter accidents. Because accidents are usually more severe at high speeds, motorcyclists frequently suffer severe ejection-related injuries. A common injury is “road rash,” otherwise known in the medical community as a “friction burn.” This type of injury occurs when a motorcyclist impacts and skids across the roadway.
The friction of the asphalt rubbing against the rider can strip away layers of clothing and skin. In extreme cases, friction burns can reach down to the bone layer. Less severe friction burns may heal completely with time, but serious cases of road rash may leave permanent, disfiguring scars. Another potential issue is the introduction of foreign matter into the wound, such as pieces of gravel or glass. This can lead to infection, making the injury potentially life-threatening.
Head injuries represent a major threat to cyclists, motorcyclists, and scooter riders. After falling off these smaller vehicles, riders might suffer impacts to the head. They may strike their heads on the roadway, concrete barriers, trees, poles, and other vehicles. Even a relatively low-speed impact can prove fatal if the victim suffers a significant knock to the head. Although helmets can reduce these hazards, they are less effective than many realize.
Ejection from Passenger Vehicles
Although ejections from motorcycles and bicycles may be more common, ejections from passenger vehicles are arguably more dangerous. This is due to numerous factors. First, impacts often eject occupants through windshields. This can cause catastrophic injuries to the head and neck, even before the victim impacts objects and barriers outside the vehicle.
In addition, an ejected occupant might be crushed by their own vehicle. After ejection, the vehicle might roll over the victim as they lie on the roadway, causing fatal and catastrophic injuries. Even if the vehicle rolls over a single limb, these crush injuries can be catastrophic and life-altering. Compartment syndrome involves the entire limb swelling and filling with fluid. Often, this type of injury requires amputation to save the patient.
Ejected Victims are Vulnerable to Secondary Impacts
After a car accident in Cobb County, an ejected victim might be vulnerable to secondary impacts from passing vehicles. Often, the victim is rendered completely unconscious or incapacitated by the initial impact of hitting the roadway. As a result, they have no ability to get off the road and avoid approaching vehicles. Many ejected victims are killed by passing vehicles after initial collisions.