One of the biggest risks of a high-speed collision is that you could suffer a crush injury. These injuries occur when the body is subject to intense pressure for a long period.
Greg Monforton and Partners has created a guide to crush injuries suffered in Windsor car crashes. We discuss the different types, how they happen in car crashes, common symptoms, long-term complications and the value of these claims.
If you have questions about seeking compensation for a crush injury, call our Windsor-based auto accident lawyers for legal assistance.
Zero upfront costs. Millions recovered. Call (866) 320-4770.
What Is a Crush Injury?
A crush injury happens when the body is put under intense pressure, such as if it gets pinned between two objects. When body parts are put under pressure for a prolonged period, it decreases blood flow to the area, which can result in permanent or life-threatening injuries.
What Are the Common Types of Crush Injuries?
These are some of the examples of crush injuries that could happen in a Windsor car crash:
Crushed Arms or Legs
Your legs could get pinned under the dashboard or steering wheel. Your arms could also be put under pressure if your door crumbles inward, such as in a side-impact crash.
Crushed Chest
If you are involved in a frontal collision, you could be thrown forward with such force that you suffer a crush injury to your chest. This may result in damage to your vital organs, like your heart or lungs.
Crushed Fingers or Toes
If your arms or legs get pinned down during the collision, your fingers and toes are particularly vulnerable to injury. Crush injuries to these extremities may be more likely to result in amputation.
Crushed Head or Neck
A rollover accident puts you at high risk of a head or neck injury, especially if the roof of your car caves in when your vehicle rolls over. If your head suffers a crush injury, you could develop a traumatic brain injury.
Crushed Abdomen
If your abdomen gets crushed, your internal organs could suffer damage that could be life-threatening. For example, you could suffer damage to your kidneys, spleen, liver or other organs.
How Crush Injuries May Happen in Car Accidents
A crush injury could happen in a high-speed crash where a large vehicle (SUVs, commercial trucks, vans or large pickup trucks) strikes a smaller vehicle,. Smaller vehicles are not built to withstand the impact of a larger vehicle.
Sometimes a passenger vehicle’s engine gets pushed into the passenger compartment. This situation could happen in a rear-end collision or in a crash where your vehicle gets compacted between two other vehicles.
Rear-end crashes between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles create a high risk of crush injuries. Your vehicle could slide under the back of the trailer, causing the back of the truck to come up over your hood and through your windshield.
If you get rear-ended by a commercial truck, your vehicle could get pushed into another vehicle and get compacted. This could put your legs, abdomen or arms under intense pressure.
Crush injuries can also happen in motorcycle, pedestrian or bicycle crashes. The size of the car does not matter. Riders and pedestrians have little protection from vehicles of any size. These victims could easily get run over or pinned against a stationary object, causing a crush injury.
Signs and Symptoms of a Crush Injury
If you were involved in a crash and your body suffered blunt force trauma or was pinned down for an extended period, watch for symptoms of a crush injury, such as:
- Severe bruising
- Swelling in the area
- Severe lacerations
- Signs of internal bleeding or an internal injury (pain or tenderness in the abdomen, nausea, blood in urine, drop in blood pressure, signs of shock)
- Trouble breathing
- Tingling in the extremities
- Severe muscle pain
- Pale skin
- Severe fatigue
What Are the Dangers of Crush Injuries Resulting From a Collision?
The problem with crush injuries is that they may come with secondary complications. Victims need to seek treatment immediately to help mitigate the risk of these complications.
These are some examples of the complications that may result from crush injuries:
Compartment Syndrome
Crush injuries can destroy cells in your muscles, tendons and nerves. This is because pressure restricts blood flow.
Compartment syndrome can increase the risk of paralysis. Another problem with compartment syndrome is that dead muscle tissue can get into your bloodstream, which could cause kidney failure. This process is called rhabdomyolysis. This injury may sometimes result in a need for amputation.
Crush Syndrome
Crush syndrome refers to the process whereby the body releases toxins into the bloodstream after a crush injury. This process can cause problems with your metabolism, in addition to cardiac arrest, and even kidney failure.
Hypovolemic Shock
Crush injuries can result in a significant loss of blood. If you lose more than 15 percent of your blood supply after a crush injury, you may go into hypovolemic shock, which could cause vital organs to shut down.
Hyperkalemia
Sudden pressure can destroy cell membranes, causing the release of a dangerous amount of potassium, which could cause a heart attack.
How Can Doctors Treat Crush Injuries?
If you were involved in a car crash, you should seek medical care right away, especially if you notice signs of a crush injury.
Treatment for these injuries often starts at the scene. First responders can attempt fluid resuscitation of the body part that was crushed in the collision. While every injury is different, immediate treatment like this could help reduce the risk of long-term damage.
Unfortunately, there are situations when an injured victim is pinned down in such a way that amputation becomes necessary to extricate the victim from the wreck.
When crush injury victims get to the hospital, doctors may have multiple treatment options, such as:
- Intravenous fluids to help resuscitate the area
- Treating the kidneys with alkaline diuresis to help get toxins out of your body
- Surgery to remove dead tissue
- Use of antibiotics to treat or prevent infections
- Oxygen therapy through the use of a hyperbaric chamber
- Replenishing your electrolytes, as they often are depleted after a crush injury
- Careful monitoring of your vital signs in case of a heart arrythmia
What Is a Crush Injury Claim Worth?
The value of any Windsor car accident claim will depend on numerous factors, particularly the type and severity of your injuries. Other factors include your body’s response to treatment, the onset of any long-term complications, and how your injuries may affect other aspects of your life, such as the ability to continue working in the same capacity as before.
When it comes to crush injuries, an abdominal crush injury may be worse than a crush injury to an arm or leg. However, if your arm gets crushed and must be amputated, this could be much worse than some types of abdominal crush injuries.
The value of your claim will also depend on the cost of treatment and the length of your treatment. If you need treatment for years into the future, your claim will be worth much more than a claim where treatment is only needed for a matter of months.
At Greg Monforton and Partners, we are committed to securing full compensation for the damages you have suffered. This includes the cost of your medical care and the long-term effects of your injuries, including:
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Need to hire a caregiver
- Home or vehicle modifications
- And much more
We have extensive experience and a proven track record. When you hire our firm, we manage the process from start to finish. You do not need to worry about deadlines or the other steps in the legal process.
Contact Greg Monforton and Partners After a Windsor Car Crash
Windsor car crashes can result in significant injuries that could affect victims for a long time. For example, a crush injury could result in a limb being amputated.
Greg Monforton and Partners offers a free legal consultation with no obligation to hire our firm. There are also no fees for taking your case or for working on your case.
We are here to help crash victims. Call (866) 320-4770.