There are many reasons why some people are not hurt as badly as others in a serious automobile accidents. Some people are hurt worse than others in an accident in which there was little or no property damage. One of the big predictors in determining one’s outcomes in a car accident is the health and wellness of the person involved.
Automobile Accident Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, “injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children age 0 to 19 as well as for injuries to adolescents ages 10 to 24…”
More than 2.5 million adult drivers and passengers are treated yearly in emergency departments as the result vehicle accidents. This number is staggering and is only the number who went to the ER. Given that most accidents do not lead to a visit to the ER, the average American has a near 100% chance of being injured in an automobile accident at some time in their life.
Unfortunately, the odds are against us when it comes to avoiding some types of injury as a result of automobile accidents. It seems important to understand how our underlying health can contribute to or mitigate the seriousness of these possibly inevitable events in our lives.
The economic impact of injuries in automobile accidents is noteworthy; the cost of medical care and losses to the productivity of the injured from automobile accidents exceeded $80 billion annually.
Poor Health Progresses to Worse Health
One who has pre–existing conditions would likely be hurt more seriously in an accident. This is called the “Glass Jaw” theory. Other health issues become magnified in an automobile accident, such as obesity, mental stress, respiratory, circulatory or other medical conditions. Insurance companies consistently argue that injuries sustained were not accident related in these cases, however, the medical evidence can be offered to counter these arguments. The negligent party in a car accident is responsible for the effects of that accident on the other persons involved, regardless of whether they were more susceptible to injury or exacerbation of a preexisting injury.
Many people involved in automobile accidents feel as though their lives are unravelling as a result of the event. There are issues of property damage, medical appointments, time away from work and many other things that bring mental and physical fatigue to an injured person. If that person was in poor health to begin with, it is likely that those problems, maybe once manageable, now are serious medical conditions. The principal of automobile insurance is to make the injured whole, but only to the point that they were at the time the accident happened. But to someone whose entire life is upended, being made whole seems an impossibility.
Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle Now
Because of the seeming inevitability of an automobile accident causing us injury, it would behoove us to work to become a healthier person now. They say that “there is no time like the present”. This is so true when it comes to health and wellness. As with so much of our lives, it is important to work on our individual wellness as a buttress against serious injury in the event of an accident.
Your chiropractor is trained in wellness and can coach you in a lifestyle makeover that can help prevent serious injury. There are changes in diet, exercise routines, ergonomics at work, and many other things that your chiropractor could suggest in an effort to help you help yourself.
Increase your odds of avoiding serious injury, or worse, in an accident in the future by working on your body and mind now. With effort and willpower, you can adopt Health and Wellness techniques that will bring happiness and comfort for years to come. Call Advanced Chiropractic and Holistic Wellness Center today for a consultation.