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Recently, a few of my colleagues on IB have focused attention on the fact that even low-impact car crashes can have serious consequences for drivers. For example, low impact crashes can cause brain and soft tissue injuries (such as whiplash), but insurance companies are often extremely reluctant to acknowledge such injuries when the damage to a vehicle is minimal.

Robin Bara from Louisville, Kentucky recently highlighted some of the misconceptions surrounding low impact accidents. Primarily, she explains that low impact crashes are the leading cause of soft tissue injuries, but that it is often very difficult for drivers to explain their injuries to the insurance company when their car suffers little to no damage as the result of an accident. This is especially true when the insurance companies use the extent of damage to the vehicle as the barometer for determining the extent of injuries to a driver. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of insurance companies to compensate injured parties for their car accident claims. Indeed, not every cut or bruise sustained during an accident is call for insurance compensation, but injuries do occur even in low impact crashes. Thus, it is important for drivers to get themselves checked out by a physician as soon as possible after a low-impact or other type of accident to ensure that there is documentation showing their injuries and to avoid the long-term consequences of untreated injuries.

Similarly, Michael Phelan of Richmond, Virginia also highlighted the consequences of low-impact car accidents. Specifically, he describes how traumatic brain injuries can occur without direct blows to the skull when the head spins rapidly around (whiplash) or accelerates quickly and stops quickly. Unfortunately, the "jell-o like" brain is thrown around inside the skull and can sustain serious injuries as a result. Overall, the truth is that even when a car doesn’t sustain much damage, a driver still can.

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