Causes of Facial Fractures
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Attorney in Sacramento. Car accidents can lead to significant injuries that can possibly impact someone for the rest of his or her life. While most people tend to focus on injuries to the heart, lungs, or brain, facial fractures can also have significant impacts on someone’s quality of life. Some statistics from a study published in the Journal of Advanced Surgery show that facial and neck injuries:
- Account for between 5% and 10% of all traumatic injuries.
- Have an overall death rate of over 10%.
- Have significant blood vessel injuries in about 65% of cases.
This study also discussed the numerous additional injuries that might occur with facial and neck injuries. Some of the associated injuries include:
- Injuries to the arteries and veins, possibly leading to severe blood loss.
- Damage to the trachea, leading to severe respiratory distress.
- Tears of the esophagus, making it challenging to eat safely.
- Lacerations of the spinal cord, which could lead to paralysis.
While treatment of facial and neck injuries is essential, it is just as vital to figure out how to prevent these injuries from happening in the first place. A team of medical researchers recently completed a review of various causes of facial fractures with some interesting results.
A Retrospective Study: Causes of Facial Fractures
Rsearchers completed a study that looked back almost thirty years at various causes of facial fractures in patients that visited their hospital. They conducted an extensive search of their electronic medical records and sorted their results of facial fractures into different categories. What they found was that:
- Over 50% of all facial injuries were caused by car accidents.
- The second most common cause of facial fractures was from physical assaults.
- The majority of these individuals required surgery for their injuries.
Car accidents have a high incidence of facial fractures because there is no seatbelt to restrain the head from impacting the steering wheel. Even with an airbag, the impact is still significant. An airbag has to inflate quickly to protect an occupant from fatal injuries. Often, this has enough force to break bones. As a result, many people who are involved in a car crash ended up in a hospital with facial injuries.
With Help from a Legal Advisor
When someone sustains severe injuries of the face, they often need care from a surgical professional. While restoring the function of the facial bones and muscles is the first priority, aesthetic issues also need to be considered. This can place a significant amount of stress on a family and a car accident attorney in Sacramento may be able to help.
Related Articles
Car Accident Attorneys in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Attorney in Sacramento. If you or someone you care about has suffered broken facial bones in a car crash, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I am happy to offer friendly, free advice.
I am pleased to be an attorney in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Everyone can look at my verdicts or settlements.
All of my guests are invited to stop by Avvo, Yelp, Google to see reviews written by some past clients.
Image Sourcing: The photograph at the start of this page was located first on Unsplash. Permission was given to reproduce the image on this page.
:dr cha [cs 568] cv