Car crashes are incredibly traumatic events that can cause many different injuries. For example, you could suffer internal organ damage. One telltale sign of this type of injury is pain in your stomach.
If you feel stomach pain after a car crash, you should not waste any time getting to the hospital. The pain could be a sign of a potentially life-threatening injury. If you wait to seek treatment, doctors may have a harder time repairing the damage.
Below, our experienced Windsor-based vehicle crash lawyers discuss stomach pain after a car accident. If you were injured because of another driver’s negligence, we are ready to help you seek compensation.
No upfront fees. Millions recovered. Call (866) 320-4770.
Why Does Your Stomach Hurt After a Car Crash?
You need to be evaluated by qualified medical professionals to determine the cause of your stomach pain. However, stomach pain might be a sign of one of the following injury types:
Organ Damage
A sharp blow to your abdomen could damage or rupture one of your vital organs. If a rupture occurs, the organ could empty its contents into your abdominal cavity. If your stomach or colon bursts and empties into your abdomen, it could cause a potentially fatal infection.
Other examples of internal organ injuries could include:
- Obstructed bowel
- Ruptured spleen
- Appendicitis
- Kidney damage
- Liver damage
- Damage to the small intestine
Internal organ damage is not something to take lightly. Damaged organs cannot function the way they are supposed to, which may put your life at risk.
Internal Bleeding
Car crashes generate a tremendous amount of force that could transfer to occupants’ bodies. This can cause blood vessels to rupture, causing internal bleeding. One of the biggest risks with internal bleeding is infection, because blood is pooling in areas where they should not be any blood.
Internal bleeding can also cause a significant drop in blood pressure, which can have dangerous consequences.
Seat Belt Syndrome
Your seat belt can save your life, but it can also cause injury to your chest or stomach. You could suffer a hernia, or your internal organs could be damaged. Your seat belt could also bruise the muscles in your abdomen.
Peritonitis
This refers to inflammation of the peritoneum, which is the membrane that lines the abdominal wall. This condition often results from an infection caused by a hole in your bowel, or from a burst appendix.
Whiplash
It may surprise you to learn that whiplash could cause you to experience stomach pain. When your neck and head jerk forward hard enough, your internal organs and blood vessels could suffer damage.
Brain Injury
If your head gets jerked forward hard enough, you could suffer a brain injury, like a concussion. This can cause nausea and stomach pain.
Sepsis
Stomach/abdominal injuries could lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening bloodstream infection and a common cause of death from a car crash stomach injury. The problem with sepsis is that the infection gets transported throughout your body via your bloodstream.
When do Signs of an Abdominal Injury Typically Show Up?
You might experience some symptoms of an abdominal injury immediately after the accident, or within 242 to 72 hours. However, sometimes symptoms take time to present themselves. You might not notice these symptoms for hours, days or weeks.
Despite the delay, these symptoms can be related to a crash that happened days or weeks earlier. Your body likely released adrenaline to cope with trauma, which can make it, so you do not feel the symptoms. It can take time for the effects of adrenaline to wear off.
Stomach pain is just one symptom of an abdominal injury. Others could include:
- Headaches
- Weakness or lightheadedness
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Bloating
- Blood in your stool
- Blood in your urine
- Struggling to breathe
- Feeling confused
- Bruising on your stomach
- Feeling nauseous
- Disruption of the menstrual cycle
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Cramping in your stomach
- Loss of vision
- Sweating excessively
- Shallow breathing
- High blood pressure
- Losing consciousness
- Cold skin
- Excessive thirst
- No bowel movement
- Inability to pass gas
- Stomach pain that gets worse when you move
- Increased heart rate
Can I File a Lawsuit Over Post-Crash Stomach Pain?
If the crash was caused by driver negligence, you can seek compensation for medical care and other damages. This includes past and future medical care. For example, you might need surgery to fix an internal injury and you may need to follow-up care to make sure you are healing properly. Doctors also need to watch for infections and other potential complications.
You may need significant compensation, not only for medical care, but also for lost wages and non-economic damages. That is why you need an experienced lawyer to manage your case. The insurance company is going to fight hard to deny or at least underpay your claim.
Call Greg Monforton and Partners to Discuss Your Car Accident Claim
When a car crash is caused by another driver’s negligence, victims may have legal options. Our experienced lawyers have been assisting crash victims for many years, recovering millions for their injuries and damages.
We understand some people are hesitant to contact a lawyer because they are unsure about the cost. However, our services come with no upfront fees. That means no fee to take your case and no fees while working on your case.
If you have any legal questions after a crash, give us a call. Phone: (866) 320-4770.