Women at Higher Risk of Severe Injury in Car Accidents, Study Says

Are certain people more likely to sustain severe injuries or particular types of injuries in car crashes than others? A recent peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Public Health reports that women involved in motor vehicle crashes “may be more likely to go into shock than men,” and may be more likely to sustain injuries. The researchers do not suggest that women are more likely to be involved in collisions (data actually suggests the opposite). Instead, their research addresses the type and severity of harm when a motor vehicle collision does occur. Our Richmond car accident lawyers can tell you more about the study and its implications.

Gender Biases in Vehicle Safety Testing 

The authors of the recent study begin by underscoring that “car safety equipment was originally designed with male-representative bodies in mind,” which means that “women sitting in the front row are more likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in the case of a crash” and “are also more likely to be trapped in crashed cars.”

Discrepancies in safety testing came to light a few years ago due to a 2019 study from the University of Virginia that revealed crash testing is done on dummies that generally stand in for male bodies, as opposed to female bodies. Accordingly, the crashworthiness of any given vehicle speaks to the crashworthiness for male occupants in most cases, and female occupants tend to be less safe and to sustain more serious injuries despite new technological advances in vehicle safety systems.

Severity and Type of Injuries Also Shift 

As the new study shows, in addition to sustaining more severe and fatal injuries in motor vehicle collisions, women are also more likely than men to sustain certain types of injuries in crashes. The new study reports that female occupants are more likely than male occupants to suffer “blood-loss related shock,” even when injuries were less severe. This finding is particularly important because, as the authors of the study emphasize, “an elevated shock index can be an early warning sign of hemorrhagic shock, caused by heavy blood loss, but can also be an early predictor of mortality.”

In other words, women who experience this kind of shock in motor vehicle collisions ultimately can be more likely to experience subsequent debilitating, and potentially life-threatening, trauma.

Contact a Richmond Car Accident Attorney Today 

If you were seriously in a motor vehicle accident, it is important to discuss the details of your case with a lawyer who can assist you. If another party was responsible for the crash in which you were injured, you may have multiple options for seeking compensation for your losses. One of the experienced Richmond car accident attorneys at Latham & Martin can answer any questions you have about filing a claim or options for seeking compensation. Once you are ready to file an insurance claim or initiate a civil lawsuit against the at-fault party, our firm can assist you. We regularly represent injured clients in car accident lawsuits and can begin working with you today. Contact us for more information about our services.

Sources:

eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037191

iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/males-and-females

news.virginia.edu/content/study-new-cars-are-safer-women-most-likely-suffer-injury