Injuries of the Trachea Can Be Missed
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton, personal injury lawyer. Someone who suffers a traumatic event could develop serious injuries. It is essential to identify them as quickly as possible to have the best chance at a full recovery. Sometimes, aches and pains can be missed the first time around. This could have severe consequences.
Statistics on Injuries and Auto Accidents
After a car crash, someone can suffer mild to traumatic injuries. Complications may result if immediate medical treatment is not obtained. It is crucial to get checked out by a doctor following a car accident. Early intervention is vital, especially with concussions and other head or neck injuries. Let’s look at these statistics:
- The US Department of Transportation (DOT) states that the average person will be involved in an auto accident of some sort once every six years.
- In an average year, over 6 million people sustain some type of injury in a car accident.
- One research study demonstrated that three-quarters of people who sustained injuries in a car accident still had symptoms of their injury more than 6 months after the accident.
One of the problems with these persistent symptoms is that injuries sometimes do not show up right away. One such example is a neck injury.
Delayed Presentation of Tracheal Injuries: A Study
The trachea plays an important role in the body. This is a flexible, durable tube that transports air from the mouth and nose into the lungs. If the trachea is damaged, this can be a life-threatening injury. Some injuries of the trachea can make it impossible to breathe, leading to a wrongful death. Recently, a research study was published regarding trachea injuries that are sometimes initially missed. Based on the results of the study, most injuries of the trachea that are missed do not show up until six months later. The results also showed that the most common symptoms that lead to the diagnosis of this injury were dyspnea (trouble breathing) and pneumonia. The researchers proposed that the possible cause of missing this injury initially was that the damage to the trachea was too light to cause symptoms. Over time, this tear could worsen, eventually leading to the development of serious symptoms. Sometimes, these injuries could have gotten so severe that someone could end up with lifelong complications.
Legal Help with Car Accidents Involving Neck Injuries
If someone has sustained an injury to the trachea, difficulty breathing can have severe consequences for someone’s quality of life. People could have trouble walking up stairs, walking to their mailbox, or even going to work. Medical problems could start to pile up, leading to high medical expenses. These troubles could leave families wondering what they are going to do next. Meeting with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Stockton could help families review all of their legal options. As a team, they can figure out how to act in their family’s best interests. Nobody should ever feel like they are alone during a tough time.
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Stockton Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton, personal injury lawyer. Suffering any type of injury following an auto accident can be a life-changing experience. If you or someone you love has sustained a neck injury in a car accident, please contact me at (209) 227-1931 or at (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly, free advice.
To read reviews compiled by some of my former clients, please visit:
I am proudly listed as a California member of the Million Dollar Advocates, a forum which recognizes personal injury lawyers with 1 million dollar verdicts and settlements for previous clients.
Please feel free to read through my verdicts and settlements here.
Image Attribution: The x-ray image at the start of this page was found on Unsplash. It has been reproduced here with permission
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