No two motor vehicle accidents are alike, so a whole range of potential injuries is possible when you've been in a car wreck. However, the stresses of a car accident on the body are often similar, even in different types of car accidents, so these types of injuries tend to occur most frequently:

Soft tissue damage.

Soft tissue damage is a generic term used to describe damage that doesn't involve broken bones or visible cuts and scarring. Soft tissue damage encompasses many types of injuries, the most common of which are neck and back injuries in a car accident. A soft tissue damage can be difficult to treat, as it's not as straightforward as other types of injuries; no broken bones to set, and no surgery can correct it. Most soft tissue injuries are treated with painkillers, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, or pain management techniques.

Back and neck injuries.

Probably the most common types of car wreck injuries are back and neck injuries. Back and neck injuries often arise from the sudden back-and-forth jerking of an unexpected collision in a car accident, commonly referred to as whiplash. Most of the time, these types of injuries start out leaving the accident victim feeling a little sore, but after a day, the pain is acute and may even be debilitating. In some cases, time alone may heal these injuries, but in many cases, you need some type of medical treatment to address back and neck injuries.

Disc problems.

More severe than soft tissue damage, sometimes the vertebrae in your back are damaged in a car accident. Some disc injuries, such as a bulging disc, lead to radiating pain that travels into your extremities, as the inflamed disc presses against a nerve. Unfortunately, a bulging or herniated disc is often the beginning of a chronic injury, wherein you may experience that pain every day for the rest of your life, or may be easily re-injured even if you successfully treat your disc pain.

Disc problems may respond to non-invasive medical treatment, but in many cases, doctors recommend surgery to correct disc problems long-term. However, regardless of whether you use surgery or more conventional methods of treatment, disc problems can cause severe impairment and drastically limit your activities and enjoyment of your life.

Knee and shoulder injuries.

Unfortunately, many people sustain knee and shoulder injuries through the course of a car wreck. Knee and shoulder injuries can occur when you stiffen your legs to brace for impact, or reach out with your arms in an attempt to reduce upper-body impact. In other cases, these injuries occur simply by slamming into your car with a hard impact during an accident. Swelling may indicate a torn ligament or ACL, and these types of injuries can be very painful to treat and may also lead to a recurring medical condition.

Neurological damage or concussions.

With the high rate of speed at which many motor vehicle accidents occur, it's easy to sustain a concussion or even brain trauma. If you're experiencing blurred vision, double vision, dizziness, headaches, problems concentrating, a loss of consciousness or memory problems, seek medical treatment immediately. Brain injuries are extremely serious, so it's important to get a medical evaluation for these injuries.

Broken bones.

The human body is fragile. With a severe, jarring impact at a high rate of speed, it's far too easy to break bones. Whether you're looking at a hairline fracture or a compound fracture, broken bones can be quite serious and require immediate medical attention. You should get broken bones treated right away to avoid further damage to the bone by improper setting and healing.

Cuts and lacerations.

Broken glass in a car accident can cause cuts and lacerations, and so can the introduction of any sharp object as a result of two cars colliding. Cuts and lacerations may be more serious than you think, so you should seek medical treatment to ensure the injury isn't too deep, and you take the proper steps to care for the wound. Cuts and lacerations can become infected, so it's important to take good care of these injuries to avoid a worsening in severity. Likewise, these injuries may require stitches or other medical treatment depending on severity of the injury.