A car accident can hurt anybody from a newborn baby to a 100-year-old person. But as we age, we become more and more likely to suffer serious injuries in an auto collision. The results can be catastrophic.
According to a German study, adults age 65 and above are more like to get involved in motor vehicle accidents and suffer severe injuries. Researchers examined accident data from 1999 to 2011 involving 4,430 individuals aged at least 65. They found that seniors were more likely to sustain serious injury in relatively minor collisions than younger age groups. Head, face, jaw and limb injuries were especially common.
Why do seniors get hurt in crashes more easily?
The study does not go into possible reasons for this phenomenon. But it seems likely that conditions associated with aging, such as osteoporosis, can make an already violent impact even more damaging. It’s also possible that age-related reductions in muscle tone, vision, hearing and reaction times can expose seniors to crashes that younger drivers, bike riders and pedestrians might have avoided.
While many seniors who get caught in car accidents are retired, their injuries still have a dramatic impact on their lives. An injury that limits an older person’s mobility might never completely heal. The victim can lose their ability to walk and care for themselves. Their hopes and plans for retirement may have to be greatly reduced, or at least adjusted.
What legal action can do for older accident victims
Like any victim of a negligent driver, a senior who was injured in a preventable accident in Temecula could be entitled to compensation. Potential damages include pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of enjoyment of life and more.
