In October, a St. Louis woman died after a car crashed into her place of employment. After finishing her shift at an urgent care center, she walked outside when a driver lost control and struck her. The driver was allegedly intoxicated. She suffered catastrophic injuries, including internal bleeding, and died from her injuries at the hospital. Unfortunately, severe car accidents that result in internal bleeding happen far too frequently. We will discuss some of the most common catastrophic car accident injuries below.
Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is one of the most severe and life-threatening injuries a person can experience in a car accident. The symptoms of internal bleeding are often difficult to discover at the scene of the accident. In many cases, victims do not notice their symptoms and do not receive treatment in time. When a person’s blood vessels become severed or damaged, internal bleeding can occur. If blood clots do not form or surgeons cannot locate the source of the internal bleeding in time, it can become fatal. Even when a person survives internal bleeding, he or she may experience ongoing symptoms or additional organ damage, or brain damage from the bleeding.
Internal Injuries: Brain Bleeding
Brain bleeds are also dangerous. Car accidents can result in closed head injuries when the brain itself slams against a person’s heart skull, causing tissue damage and bleeding. In other cases, an object will penetrate the skull, or the victim’s head will collide with the dashboard, steering wheel, or glass. Internal bleeding stops oxygen from circulating to the brain and can result in permanent brain damage and death.
Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm
When the abdominal aorta becomes severed in a car accident, the victim almost always dies from the injuries. Typically this type of injury happens when a victim’s stomach is compressed or crushed during the accident.
Internal Injuries: Kidney Damage
When the kidneys become injured, the victim could require an organ transplant or lifelong dialysis. The sooner a car accident victim receives treatment, the better. The kidneys are responsible for filtering our blood, and when they are damaged, a variety of other dangerous symptoms can occur.
Liver Damage
Likewise, when the liver becomes torn or severed in a car accident, the victim will require surgery immediately to repair the liver damage. Without emergency treatment, internal bleeding can cause other life-threatening conditions or death.
Contact a Missouri Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you or your loved one has suffered one of the injuries mentioned above, or your loved one died from internal injuries caused by a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced catastrophic injury lawyers at Griggs Injury Law can review your case and advise you as to whether you have a valid legal claim against the at-fault driver. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.
