Internal Bleeding After a Car Crash: Ignore the Warning Signs at Your Peril
The violence of a car crash sends a shock wave of energy through the vehicle and everything in it. Consider it this way: this pulse of energy has the power to shatter glass and crumple steel. The great surprise is that the human body can often absorb this punishment with only minor bruises and lacerations.
But the body doesn’t have unlimited durability. Car accidents can—and often do—shatter bones, rupture internal organs, strain muscles, and sprain joints. The pain that accompanies such an injury can be a good thing: it alerts the victim that something is seriously wrong. But what about a serious injury that may show only easy-to-ignore signs for hours or days? In such a case, the victim may not recognize that he is gravely injured, and that his condition is worsening. He may be worry-free right up to the moment he loses consciousness—and, maybe, dies.
That is exactly how it goes with internal bleeding after a car accident.
Know the Warning Signs of Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is one of the most serious consequences of any trauma. In many cases, the victim of internal bleeding will also have other, more obvious injuries. Those gross injuries—medical jargon for self-evident wounds—may be enough to send a car Doctor Looking at Scan Resultscrash victim to the nearest emergency room, where his bleeding will soon be discovered.
But often enough, the victim will not show any symptoms of internal bleeding, and may refuse medical assistance. That’s why bleeding is so serious: because the injury, unknown and undiscovered, will continue. Blood will continue to leak from the circulatory system, starving the body of oxygen and nutrients and allowing wastes to accumulate. Eventually, blood pressure drops so low that the victim cannot remain conscious; he may pass away before emergency medical care can revive him.
Symptoms of internal bleeding can be very subtle, but may become more prominent over time. The signs will also vary, depending on where the bleeding is occurring and the severity of blood loss. Everyone, though, should know these frequent signs of internal blood loss:
- Swelling or pain in the abdomen, especially if it gets worse over time.
- Severe fatigue.
- Blood in the urine or stools.
- Vomiting blood.
- A deep purple, flat bruise called an ecchymosis. It occurs when blood escapes into the tissues from ruptured blood vessels.
- Pallor, or a pale complexion.
- Feeling cold.
- Dizziness, feeling light-headed, or fainting.
- Confusion, slurred speech, or difficulty concentrating.
- A painful headache.
- Low blood pressure.
- Loss of consciousness.
The Steps to Take If You Suspect Internal Bleeding
Everyone who has been involved in a traffic accident—and we mean everyone—should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible. As we have seen, internal bleeding is subtle and can be easily missed, and there are extreme risks to life and health if bleeding is not diagnosed and treated early on.
If you or a loved one has suffered internal bleeding or any other injury because of someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced car accident attorney when your injuries allow. Attorney Steve Lee is here to Houston area injury victims get the fair recoveries they deserve. For over thirty years, Steve Lee has fought against stingy insurance companies and thoughtless drivers, and now he’s waiting to hear from you. To get started, click on the LIVE CHAT symbol on this page to schedule a free meeting.