When an individual is involved in a car accident, they generally can tell whether or not they suffered an injury as most symptoms will show up right away. There are times, however, when symptoms are delayed or are internal which makes it difficult for a victim to know the extent of their injuries. Given the fact that some injury symptoms do not show up immediately, it is imperative that a person seek medical help after having engaged in an automobile accident so that a physician can assess their condition and determine which injuries, if any, they suffered.
4 Types of Internal Injuries a Car Crash Victim Might Suffer
There are several different types of internal injuries a car accident victim might suffer following an accident. In this article, we are going to focus on four of them. These include:
- Internal bleeding. “Internal bleeding is one of the most serious consequences of trauma.” While the bleeding typically “results from obvious injuries that require rapid medical attention, internal bleeding may also occur after a less severe [traumatic experience] or be delayed by hours or days.” Although WebMD suggests that there are times when internal bleeding might stop on its own, it could also continue which would require a patient to undergo surgery to address the issue.
Now, there are “two main types of trauma, and either may cause internal bleeding.” These include blunt trauma and penetrating trauma. Blunt trauma “happens when a body part collides with something else, usually at high speed.” When the body makes contact with the other object, “blood vessels inside the body are torn or crushed either by shear forces or a blunt object.” Penetrating trauma, on the other hand, “happens when a foreign object penetrates the body, tearing a hole in one or more blood vessels.”
While most car crash victims are able to determine when something serious is wrong (i.e. they hit their head or another part of their body on their vehicle that has resulted in severe bleeding), there are times when internal bleeding occurs after experiencing a less traumatic incident causing the symptoms of internal bleeding to be delayed. Therefore, it is important to listen to your body and look out for signs that might indicate you suffered internal bleeding.
Common Symptoms of Internal Bleeding
- Abdominal pain and/or swelling. This “can be caused by internal bleeding from trauma in the liver or spleen” and the “symptoms could get worse as the bleeding continues.”
- Light-headedness, dizziness, or fainting. This “can result from any source of internal bleeding once enough blood is lost.”
- You might notice “a large area of deeply purple skin (called ecchymosis)” which happens when you begin to bleed into the skin as well as the soft tissues.
- You might experience swelling, tightness, and pain in the leg which can result from internal bleeding in the thigh. This generally happens when you suffer a fracture of the thighbone.
- Headache, seizures, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms could be the result of internal bleeding in the brain.
[Source: WebMD].
- Rib fracture. “A broken rib is a common injury that occurs when one of the bones in your rib cage breaks or cracks” [Source: Mayo Clinic]. The most common cause of a rib fracture “is chest trauma, such as from a fall, motor vehicle accident or impact during contact sports.” In many cases, when a person suffers a rib fracture, the bones merely crack. There are times, however, when the ribs break into pieces which can be extremely dangerous as “a jagged edge of broken bone can damage major blood vessels or internal organs, such as the lung.”
- Pneumothorax. Pneumothorax, also referred to as a collapsed lung “is a condition that occurs when air enters the space between the chest wall and the lung (pleural space). As air builds, pressure inside the pleural space increases and causes the lung to collapse.” Because the pressure prevents the lung from expanding, this condition can result in a victim experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. There are a few different ways a lung can become collapsed, including injury-related pneumothorax which can occur when an individual experiences blunt force trauma, “such as a blow to the chest, or an accident that results in fractured ribs.”
- Ruptured spleen. “A ruptured spleen is an emergency medical condition that occurs when the capsule-like covering of the spleen breaks open, pouring blood into your abdominal area. Depending on the size of the rupture, a large amount of internal bleeding can occur” [Source: WebMD]. When an individual suffers a ruptured spleen, they might begin to feel pain on “the left side of the abdomen under the rib cage” or on the left shoulder.
Now, if you or a family member of yours suffered an internal injury as a result of a car wreck and you haven’t yet spoken with a Jackson, MS car accident lawyer to find out what your legal rights are, you are encouraged to contact Ballard Law, PLLC at your earliest convenience. In the event you are entitled to recover compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, etc., our car accident law firm in Jackson can provide you with the legal representation you would need to recover the money you are due.
You can reach Ballard Law, PLLC at:
108 S. President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: 769-572-5111
Website: www.ballardlaw.ms
