Intoxicated drivers have wreaked havoc on roads for as long as alcohol and cars have existed together simultaneously. Over the years, many drunk drivers have maimed or even killed innocent people due to the crashes they often cause.
While any manner of injury may happen with the involvement of drunk drivers, some injuries continue to come up over and over again.
Head injuries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discuss the statistics related to crashes caused by intoxicated drivers. They also examine some of the most common injury types when related to DUI crashes, which often have a high rate of serious injury or death.
First, head injuries. In particular, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have a high level of occurrence among DUI crash victims. This can include concussions, hemorrhaging, brain swelling and even puncture wounds to the head depending on shrapnel.
Neck and back injuries
Second, injuries to the neck, back and spine also make up a large portion of overall injuries victims face. Many victims will suffer from some form of paralysis due to damage of the spinal cord. Other issues like bone breaks, whiplash, muscular tearing and nerve damage can lead to chronic pain that can severely alter a victim’s quality of life.
Victims also have a high likelihood of facing other severe injuries such as impact damage, blunt force trauma, amputation or crush injuries. Of course, many factors will affect the type of injury a driver may suffer from along with its severity and how many they face. But generally speaking, these are the most common.
