Are Auto Injuries Really Less Severe if You Weren’t Expecting the Impact?

You may have heard that if you weren’t expecting an impact, you’ll experience less severe auto accident injuries. A doctor might have asked you whether you were expecting the impact during their initial assessments. But does this really matter? Are injuries really more severe if you “tense up” before an impact? What is the science behind this? Perhaps most importantly, how do you access compensation for your auto accident in Brooklyn?

Why This Theory Is Very Difficult to Test

The theory that “tensing up” increases injury risks is well-known. However, it is also incredibly difficult to test in a controlled scientific setting. Normal crash test dummies do not have muscles, and they therefore make it impossible to test the effects of tensing up before impact. Test dummies are always “relaxed” with no added muscle tension. Even if researchers were to test the effects of car crashes using cadavers (dead bodies), they could not replicate the effects of tensed-up muscles.

That being said, some studies have established tentative connections between tensed muscles and increased injury risks. For example, one Japanese study used volunteers to determine that increased thigh tension was associated with higher risks of knee entrapment. There is also anecdotal evidence that heavily intoxicated drivers tend to suffer less serious injuries because of their relaxed posture and overall ignorance of their surroundings.

Bracing Can Help Protect Your Body

This question is something of a moot point. Many vehicle occupants do not have the time or the presence of mind to “choose” between relaxing or bracing before an impact. After all, bracing for impact is something that occurs on an instinctual, almost subconscious level. If you braced for impact before a car accident, you shouldn’t feel regret or guilt. You reacted in a perfectly natural way.

Furthermore, bracing for impact might have protected you from increased injuries. It is almost impossible to tell whether your injuries would have been less severe if you had relaxed your body before the impact. You might as well focus on the future, your treatment, and the recovery process.

Can a Brooklyn Auto Accident Lawyer Help Me? 

An auto accident lawyer in Brooklyn may be able to help you access medical treatment and compensation for lost income. Whether you “tensed up” before an impact or not, you still have the right to assess your legal options with an auto accident attorney. If you have suffered serious injuries because you braced for impact, you should not blame yourself. The at-fault driver is the person who caused your injuries, and you can explore the next potential steps with Cohan Law, PLLC.

Sources: 

ircobi.org/wordpress/downloads/irc0111/2007/Session3/3_2.pdf

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3256778/