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Internal organ injuries can be very dangerous because they often go undetected until the victim suffers serious complications well after the injury is sustained. The Chicago auto accident attorneys of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers recognize the need for all car, truck and motorcycle accident victims to undergo adequate medical evaluations to detect and identify internal organ injuries. Unfortunately, many victims refuse treatment at the scene of the accident, believing that there is nothing wrong. However, making the decision to undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation at an emergency room or urgent care center immediately after an accident could make the difference between the early detection of a serious internal organ injury and debilitating or fatal injury.
Causes of Internal Injury During Auto Accidents
Our Chicago auto injury lawyers cannot express how important it is to receive a medical evaluation following any car, truck or motorcycle accident— even if you feel perfectly fine. This is because there are powerful forces exerted on the body during a collision. Some of the worst injuries occur underneath the skin caused by the crushing power exerted on the body's internal organs from momentum, kinetic energy and gravity. Victims could walk away from an auto accident one day feeling fine and wake up weeks later with serious injuries that threaten their life or long term health. Consider the following causes of internal injuries before refusing medical treatment.
- Blunt trauma. These types of injuries occur when you’ve been thrown into a blunt object during a collision, like when you are thrown off your bike in a motorcycle accident or when your head hits the steering wheel in a car accident. While no open wound results, your blood vessels and organs may be compressed or sustain damage when your body strikes the object. This is also a common cause of broken ribs and spinal injuries.
- Decelerating trauma. Most people assume that their bodies accelerate and decelerate as one object. However, some body organs may continue on a forward trajectory even though the spine, muscles and other organs come to an abrupt stop. Organs that can be impacted include the heart, lungs and the brain. Many traumatic brain injuries occur even if the victim never struck his or her head on an object, but instead, are caused when the brain strikes the skull and moves around inside of the head.
- Penetrating trauma. These internal injuries occur when the victim experiences a deep puncture wound or laceration. It can be possible for emergency responders and doctors to focus on the puncture wound and never detect internal bleeding or organ perforation when addressing the wound.
Blunt trauma and decelerating trauma both provide ample and immediate reasons for victims to seek medical treatment and evaluations. However, many internal injuries caused by decelerating trauma go untreated because the victim shows no outer signs of injury and doesn’t feel any symptoms until hours, days, weeks or months after the accident.
Decelerating trauma is the most silent and serious cause of internal injury. For this reason, our Chicago car accident injury lawyers highly recommend you undergo extensive diagnostic testing after your accident to rule out internal injuries. You may feel that the testing is unnecessary now, but be thankful if your doctors diagnose your condition early.
Possible Complications Caused by Internal Organ Injuries
Internal bleeding is the most dangerous complication accompanying any internal injury. Internal injury-related bleeding can be caused by ruptured blood vessels, perforations in the intestinal tract, punctured lungs or micro tears in the brain. Other serious internal injuries include:
- Ruptured spleen
- Abdominal aorta rupture
- Punctured Lung
- Internal hemorrhaging
The following are the most common symptoms associated with each type of injury.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can show immediate symptoms including the loss of consciousness, confusion, migraine and memory loss. Some TBIs can be dormant, showing no immediate symptoms for weeks following the accident. Over time, a traumatic brain injury can result in neurological disorders that impair the ability of the victim to concentrate, recall events, communicate or perform motor functions.
- In most cases when a victim experiences a ruptured spleen, the damaged organ needs to be removed. Rupturing of the spleen is most often due to a blunt force trauma to the left side of the body and, if left untreated, can cause rapid internal bleeding and infection.
- Pneumothorax is the medical term used to describe the life-threatening condition when a rib punctures the lung. When the lung is punctured, the organ commonly collapses and loses the ability to fill with air. Instead, the lung can then fill with blood and other fluids, causing additional complications for doctors to address after normal breathing is restored.
- Internal hemorrhaging can have varying effects on the body depending on the location of the bleeding and its severity. In addition to causing pain and organ failure, it may result in death via blood loss. Slower bleeds may become infected and send the victim into septic shock.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers provides award-winning legal services to those who have suffered life-altering injuries. Our law firm works on behalf of our clients to ensure they receive compensation to cover their medical treatment and out of pocket expenses both now and in the future. If you or a loved one have suffered internal organ injuries in a Chicago car, truck or motorcycle accident, our personal injury attorneys can help you find the justice you deserve and recover the substantial compensation you are entitled to receive in accordance with the law. Contact us today to learn how we’ve been able to help thousands of clients just like you and to arrange a risk free consultation with a lawyer.
Our Chicago auto accident attorneys have the knowledge and experience needed to successfully recover your damages. Our law firm offers a "No Win -- No Fee" Guarantee to all our clients, meaning we will never accept payment for our services until we have secured compensation for our clients. If we cannot negotiate a settlement or win your case, our services will be free of charge.
