Attorneys for Internal Organ Injuries Sustained in Auto Accidents

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 in order to detect these types of injuries. Unfortunately, many victims refuse treatment when they believe that there is nothing wrong. The decision to undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation following an accident could make the difference between the early detection of a serious internal organ injury or debilitating and fatal injuries.

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. There are powerful forces exerted on the body during a collision and some of the worst injuries occur underneath the skin due to the crushing power exerted on our internal organs in the form of momentum, kinetic energy and gravity. You could walk away from an auto accident one day feeling fine and wake up weeks later with serious injuries that threaten your life or long term health. Consider the following causes of internal injuries before you refuse medical treatment.

• Blunt trauma. These types of injuries occur when you’ve been thrown into a blunt object during a collision, such as when you are thrown off of your bike in a motorcycle accident or your head hits the steering wheel in a car accident. While no open wound results, your blood vessels and organs may sustain damage when your body strikes the object. This is also a common cause of broken ribs and injuries to the spine.
• Decelerating trauma. Most people assume that their bodies accelerate and decelerate as one object. Some of our organs may continue on their forward trajectory even though our spine, muscles and other organs have been brought to a stop. Organs that can be impacted include the heart, lungs and the brain. Many traumatic brain injuries occur despite the victim never actually striking his or her head on an object— but are instead the result of the brain striking the skull and bouncing 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 not notice internal bleeding or organ perforation when addressing the wound.

While blunt trauma and decelerating trauma both provide ample and immediate reasons for victims to seek medical treatment and evaluations, many internal injuries resulting from decelerating trauma are left untreated because the victim shows no outer signs of injury and doesn’t feel any symptoms until later on. Decelerating trauma is the most silent and serious cause of internal injury for this reason and our Chicago car accident injury lawyers highly recommend undergoing extensive diagnostic testing following an accident to rule out internal injuries. You may feel that the testing is unnecessary now, but be thankful later when it allows doctors to diagnose your condition early.

The most dangerous complication accompanying any internal injury is internal bleeding. This is the common factor in most internal injuries, whether the bleeding is due to 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
  

Following are the most common symptoms associated with each type of injury.

• Traumatic brain injuries can show immediate symptoms such as the loss of consciousness, confusion, migraine and memory loss. They can be equally 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 in which a victim experiences a ruptured spleen, the spleen 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 can cause rapid internal bleeding and infection if left untreated.
• Pneumothorax is the medical term used when a rib punctures the lung and is a life threatening condition. When the lung is punctured, it commonly collapses and is unable to fill with air. It 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 affects 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 and we recognize the need to ensure our clients have compensation to cover their medical treatment and out of pocket expenses both now and in the future. If you or a loved one has suffered internal organ injuries in a Chicago car, truck or motorcycle accident, we can help you find the justice you deserve and recover every bit of compensation you are entitled to under 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 ensure the best possible chance of a successful recovery and we assure all our clients that we will never accept payment for our services until we have secured compensation on their behalves. If we cannot negotiate a settlement or win your case, our services will be free of charge.