Organ Damage Following Auto Accidents – Unfortunately, too many people sustain serious injuries every year in preventable car accidents. Some are even killed. According to statistics that have been published by Statista:
- More than 200 million people in the United States have driver’s licenses.
- California has the most licensed drivers.
- Nearly 6,000 pedestrians are killed in road traffic accidents every year.
- About one out of every five accidents involves a cell phone.
One of the most common injuries that people suffer in car accidents is a bone fracture. There are many ways someone could break a bone in a car accident and these can lead to serious complications.
Mechanisms of Injury: Bone Fracture in a Car Accident
Bone fractures are almost as common as car accidents themselves. Some of the common injuries that people could sustain include:
- A broken wrist which occurs when people extends their hands in front of them to protect their chest and abdomen.
- A broken leg that occurs from extending the lower extremities to the front of the car while slamming on the brakes.
- Broken ribs that are cracked when people impact the steering wheel with their chest.
In some cases, people could even suffer damage to their internal organs as a result of their bones fractures.
Internal Organ Damage from a Bone Fracture
When someone breaks a rib, the bone could become dislodged from its anatomical location. The same could be true of a hip fracture or a pelvis fracture. When this happens, bone fragments could enter the soft tissue surrounding the chest and abdomen. This can cause tremendous internal injuries, such as:
- A rib fragment could puncture the heart or lungs, leading to cardiac tamponade or a pneumothorax.
- A fragment from the pelvis could puncture the lower abdominal organs, such as the uterus, bladder, or even the intestines.
- A lower rib could even enter the upper abdomen, damaging the liver or the spleen.
These are serious injuries that could wind up being surgical emergencies.
Treatment of Internal Injuries
If a bone fragment has broken loose and damaged an internal organ, this is a surgical emergency. Not only could this lead to failure of the internal organ but it might also lead to internal bleeding. If the bleeding occurs in the chest or the abdomen, someone could bleed to death without a single drop ever being exposed to the outside environment. Because of this, it is vital for everyone to seek medical care following a serious car accident.
Help from a Car Accident Lawyer
When someone has been involved in a serious car accident, it is important to seek medical care for these injuries as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, some people go on to develop complications. It is important to ask for help during stressful times. Following a serious car accident, it is important to meet with a car accident lawyer in Sacramento. A trained legal adviser knows how to look at all of the details and present someone with all of the available options. Do not hesitate to ask for help because you and your loved ones could be deserving of financial compensation.
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Sacramento Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a car accident lawyer in Sacramento. Bone fractures can lead to serious damage to the internal organs. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
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Organ Damage Following Auto Accidents: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/Organ Damage Following Auto Accidents.
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