Suffering a Small Bowel Injury
Most people understand that there is a chance of serious injuries whenever someone is involved in a car crash. Sometimes, someone can develop more than one injury. Many traumatic injuries can be sustained in a car accident. One of the most severe injuries that someone could have is a spinal cord injury. According to the website SpinalCord.com:
- Over two million people are injured every year in a car crash.
- Greater than 30 thousand people die annually in automobile accidents.
- In almost half of these deaths, the individual was not wearing a seat belt.
- Over a third of all injuries to the spinal cord occur in car accidents. This number is more than sports and violent crimes put together.
These startling statistics put the severity of car accidents into perspective.
A Case Report: Spine and Small Bowel Injuries
A young woman was driving down the road when she was involved in a car crash. Unfortunately, she was not wearing her seat belt. Her vehicle rolled over, and she sustained numerous injuries. One of the worst injuries that she developed was a fracture of her sacrum. The sacrum is the lowest part of the spine. She was transported to a hospital for further testing. In addition to the bone fracture she sustained to her spine, her small bowel was rolled up amongst the bone fractures. Because of the damage to her small bowel, she was leaking feces into her abdominal cavity.
The Consequences of Small Bowel Injuries
When people have injured their small bowel, several different complications can develop. Some of these include:
- Sepsis: Sepsis refers to dissemination throughout the body. This comes from feces being released from the small bowel and into the abdomen.
- Constipation: If the intestines are blocked, this can lead to constipation and small bowel obstruction.
- Tears: As the intestines get backed up, they could rupture, leading to serious complications.
It is vital to address the injuries of the small bowel as quickly as possible. This will prevent these complications from occurring.
Help with Spine Injuries
When people have sustained an injury to their spinal cord, there are many questions that they might have. Some of these questions include:
- How did I suffer a spinal cord injury?
- Am I ever going to make a full recovery?
- What kind of complications am I going to suffer as a result of my injury?
- Is my insurance company going to pay for all of my medical care?
These are only a few of the many different questions that someone may have. It is a good idea to meet with a compassionate personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. A lawyer has both the training and expertise to review all your options. This assistance can allow a family to focus on the medical recovery.
Watch YouTube Video: Levels of Spinal Cord Injury. This 3-dimensional video provides an in-depth look at all levels of a spinal cord injury.
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Personal Injury Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Lawyer in Sacramento. An injury to the spinal cord can have serious complications. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an accident, call me for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
I am happy to be a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Viewers can look over many of our verdicts or settlements.
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Small Bowel Injuries: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: The car crash image at the beginning of this article was seen first on Unsplash. The picture has been printed here with permission / Small Bowel Injuries.
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