2 car accident at an intersection

Glossary of Car Accident Injuries

TermDef­i­n­i­tion
Chi­ro­prac­torA health­care pro­fes­sion­al spe­cial­iz­ing in the diag­no­sis and treat­ment of neu­ro­mus­cu­lar dis­or­ders, par­tic­u­lar­ly focus­ing on spinal adjust­ments to alle­vi­ate pain and improve function.
Con­cus­sionA mild trau­mat­ic brain injury result­ing from a blow or jolt to the head, caus­ing tem­po­rary neu­ro­log­i­cal dysfunction.
Emer­gency Med­ical Tech­ni­cian (EMT)A trained pro­fes­sion­al who pro­vides emer­gency med­ical care at the scene of an acci­dent, injury, or illness.
Frac­turesBro­ken bones caused by the impact or force of a car accident.
Inter­nal InjuriesInjuries to inter­nal organs or inter­nal bleed­ing caused by the force of a car accident.
Men­tal Health ProfessionalA spe­cial­ist who pro­vides coun­sel­ing, ther­a­py, and sup­port for indi­vid­u­als expe­ri­enc­ing psy­cho­log­i­cal trau­ma or emo­tion­al dis­tress fol­low­ing a car accident.
Neu­rol­o­gistA med­ical spe­cial­ist focused on the diag­no­sis and treat­ment of dis­or­ders relat­ed to the ner­vous sys­tem, includ­ing the brain, spinal cord, and periph­er­al nerves.
Occu­pa­tion­al TherapistA health­care pro­fes­sion­al who helps indi­vid­u­als regain or main­tain their abil­i­ty to per­form dai­ly activ­i­ties and work tasks fol­low­ing injury or illness.
Ortho­pe­dic SpecialistA physi­cian who spe­cial­izes in the diag­no­sis, treat­ment, and pre­ven­tion of mus­cu­loskele­tal injuries, such as frac­tures, dis­lo­ca­tions, and lig­a­ment injuries.
Paral­y­sisThe loss of mus­cle func­tion and sen­sa­tion in one or more areas of the body, often result­ing from spinal cord injuries.
Para­medicA health­care pro­fes­sion­al trained to pro­vide advanced emer­gency med­ical care, often work­ing along­side EMTs at the scene of an accident.
Phys­i­cal TherapistA health­care pro­fes­sion­al who helps patients improve their mobil­i­ty, reduce pain, and restore func­tion through var­i­ous exer­cis­es, stretch­es, and oth­er ther­a­peu­tic techniques.
Pri­ma­ry Care PhysicianA gen­er­al prac­ti­tion­er who pro­vides ongo­ing health­care and coor­di­nates care with oth­er spe­cial­ists as needed.
Soft Tis­sue InjuriesInjuries to mus­cles, ten­dons, and lig­a­ments, such as sprains, strains, and con­tu­sions, often caused by the impact of a car accident.
Spinal Cord InjuryDam­age to the spinal cord, which can result in the loss of sen­sa­tion, move­ment, or func­tion below the lev­el of injury.
Trau­mat­ic Brain Injury (TBI)An injury to the brain caused by exter­nal force, such as a car acci­dent, result­ing in tem­po­rary or per­ma­nent cog­ni­tive, phys­i­cal, and emo­tion­al impairments.
WhiplashA neck injury caused by a sud­den back-and-forth move­ment of the head, often occur­ring in rear-end collisions.