Over the years, hair trends come and go, only for them to reemerge years later. One of those trends making a comeback is the claw clip hairstyle. Thanks to social media outlets like TikTok, women have been inspired to break out the old butterfly and claw clips that kept their hair in place during the early 2000s.
Unfortunately, the cute hair trend has an unexpected downside if they’re involved in a car accident. There have been reports of car accident victims suffering from major head and spine trauma caused by the claw clip becoming lodged into their neck or skull. Since the clips are made of plastic, many may assume the clips will shatter upon impact. The plastic that these hair accessories are made of is thick and can usually withstand much weight. There are even videos circulating the web where people run over their claw clips or stomp on them, and they still remain intact. The sturdiness that women with fine hair rely on to keep their hair in place can also be an unforeseen danger when involved in a car accident. The injuries caused by claw clip trauma can lead to traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, skull fractures, nerve damage, and more.
The injuries caused by car accidents and claw clips are still relatively new, which is why the car accident attorneys at Curcio Law Offices will explain the dangers surrounding these hair accessories and whether or not they warrant legal action. Whenever you or your loved one has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, you have grounds to pursue legal action against the responsible party. If you suffered catastrophic injuries from a car accident, call Curcio Law Offices at 312-321-1111 to schedule a free consultation with one of our car crash attorneys.
The Current Hair Claw Clip Trend
Even the most irregular TikTok user has probably seen videos of influencers styling their hair with claw clips. The large hair clips can be styled in a number of ways with all different hair types. Women (and men) with short hair, fine hair, long hair, and thick hair can all enjoy the benefits of wearing claw clips. They’re a popular choice among many because they keep your hair in place while avoiding the hair crease that a rubber band can leave.
TikTok influencers wear this hair accessory while performing everyday activities like running to the store or getting their nails done. Even when driving, influencers leave the clip in their hair and continue posting content. Due to the popularity of these hair accessories, many emergency room doctors have seen an increase in car accident head injuries caused by claw clip puncture wounds.
Now that the dangers of claw clips and the injuries they can cause are becoming more well-known, the same TikTok influencers that taught us how to wear the clips are encouraging followers to take their hair down while driving. Whether you’re wearing a large claw clip to hold up all your hair or a small one with a half-up hairstyle, you’re at risk of a head injury if you’re involved in a car accident.
Many brands, like Teleties, boast about the strength and durability of their hair clips and how they can withstand excessive weight and force while remaining intact. Many boutiques that sell Teleties hair clips have posted videos of them running over the brand’s hair clips to show how durable they are. Imagine wearing one of these hair clips and being involved in a car crash. The hair claw clip won’t shatter upon impact but will instead impale the back of your head or neck.
Possible Hair Clip Car Accident Injuries
Depending on where the claw clip is positioned will determine what type of injury the clip can cause. Regardless of where the claw clip sits, head and neck injuries caused by a puncture wound can be catastrophic.
Head Injuries
Since the dangers of claw clip use have become more well-known, many influencers have been posting videos warning their followers. However, one of the most famous stories of a car accident leading to claw clip injuries is that of TikTok user @paisley.rileyyy. Following her accident, she’s posted many videos warning others of the dangers of wearing claw clips while driving. Paisley explains that her friend was not driving very fast when she lost control of the side-by-side during the accident. She explains further that the accident caused “the back of my head to hit a metal bar which lodged the clip into the back of my head.”
Paisley shows in another video that the claw clip did not break during the entire accident and needed to be removed by the emergency room nurse. She suffered a concussion and needed five staples to close the wound on her scalp caused by the claw clip.
Another instance where a hair clip caused a head injury happened to a British student teacher named Jeena Panesar. Panesar was driving her vehicle one foggy morning when she hit a tree; the car skidded and flipped over. As the car roof crushed her, the claw clip at the back of her head penetrated her scalp and became lodged into her head. The clip caused a large head wound, 11 inches long, that extended from the back of her head to her left eyebrow. While she didn’t sustain any major brain damage, she still suffers from muscle damage in her forehead. Panesar also urges other claw clip wearers to take them out while driving or riding in a vehicle and encourages them to trade the hair clips for rubber bands.
Spinal Injuries
Another injury that claw clips can cause is spinal injuries. In November 2022, TikTok user Arielle Elonys, @arielleelonys, suffered multiple vertebral fractures caused by her hair clip following a car accident. During her video, Arielle shared that when the airbag deployed, her claw clip caused her head to hit the headrest at an awkward angle, causing fractures in three out of seven cervical vertebrae. She considers herself lucky, recounting other accidents where people had to get the clip surgically removed from their heads.
Can Hair Clip Car Accident Injuries Be Fatal?
So far, there have not been any reported incidents where a claw clip injury has led to a person’s death. A Texas emergency room doctor explains that the amount of force needed for a claw clip to penetrate a person’s skull leading to a fatality, would likely cause the clip to break, but Dr. J. Mack Slaughter does question those clips with thick teeth. Slaughter recommends removing claw clips and anything else sharp or pointy from the back of your head while in a vehicle.
Slaughter states that while claw clip injuries can look gruesome, it’s just because head wounds bleed a lot to ensure proper blood flow reaches the brain. Even when a person comes to the ER with a head drenched in blood, it doesn’t mean the injury is fatal.
Is it Better for Hair Claw Clips to Shatter or Stay in Tact?
Dr. J. Mack Slaughter believes claw clips that remain intact during an accident pose a greater risk of injuries than those that shatter upon impact. When the clip breaks, it absorbs the force from the crash and shatters, but when it stays intact, the clip moves that force into the back of the person’s skull.
Can You Sue for Hair Clip Car Accident Injuries?
If your injuries were caused by the negligence of another, you could have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit. To have a strong claw clip accident case, the attorneys at Curcio Law Offices will need to prove the four elements of negligence.
- Duty of Care: Every motor vehicle driver owes a duty of care to others by driving safely and responsibly.
- Breached Duty of Care: The driver at fault violated the duty of care by driving negligently or recklessly.
- Causation: The injuries you sustained were in direct relation to the other driver’s negligent actions.
- Damages: The injuries and other damages caused the victim a financial burden and deserve compensation.
Car Accident Damages
Regardless of the severity of your car accident injuries, all victims deserve to be financially compensated for medical expenses and more. The Chicago car accident attorneys at Curcio Law have recovered compensation for the following damages:
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses
- Medical equipment costs, like mobility aids or other assistance equipment
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Future medical bills
- Physical therapy
- Counseling
- Loss of earning capacity
- Emotional distress
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Funeral and burial expenses if the accident resulted in the wrongful death of a loved one
Call Chicago Car Accident Lawyers at Curcio Law Offices Today
While claw clips may be the latest trend, they can be dangerous if you’re wearing one during an accident. No matter how cute they look, just take them out while riding in a vehicle.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident, you need legal representation willing to fight for you to receive maximum compensation for your injuries. Chicago car accident attorneys at Curcio Law Offices have been helping their clients recover compensation for personal injury claims, premises liability cases, and more. To discuss your case with an attorney from Curcio Law, call 312-321-1111 to schedule a free consultation today.
