If you are wondering whether a car accident can cause internal bleeding, the answer is yes. Even seemingly minor collisions can result in internal injuries that are not outwardly visible. The impact of a crash can inflict severe trauma on the body, particularly affecting blood vessels.
This trauma may impair the natural clotting and repair processes, leading to life-threatening internal bleeding. As Atlanta car accident lawyers, we’ve represented many car accident victims with internal injuries. If you think you might be bleeding internally, seek immediate medical attention. Your safety should be your number one priority after a collision.
Warning Signs of Internal Bleeding After a Car Accident
Understanding the signs of internal bleeding is crucial, given its potential severity. Car accident victims are particularly vulnerable to internal bleeding, which can be dangerous if untreated.
Watch for the following warning signs indicating internal bleeding:
- Abdominal pain or tenderness: Sudden, intense pain in the abdomen can indicate injury to internal organs.
- Weakness or dizziness: A drop in blood pressure from blood loss can cause weakness, dizziness, or fainting.
- Rapid heartbeat: Blood loss triggers an increased heart rate, which is the body’s attempt to compensate for lost fluid.
- Nausea and vomiting: Blood in the stomach can irritate the digestive tract and lead to nausea and vomiting.
- Bruising: Bleeding within nearby tissues can show up as bruising, especially around the injury site.
- Shortness of breath: Reduced oxygen levels from anemia cause shortness of breath.
- Confusion or disorientation: Reduced blood flow to the brain impacts cognition and alertness.
- Pale or clammy skin: Low blood pressure from internal bleeding often results in pale, cold, and clammy skin.
- Increased thirst: The body tries to replenish lost fluids from bleeding by triggering more thirst.
- Swelling or distension: Internal bleeding can cause swelling, especially in the abdomen.
- Blood in urine or stools: Bleeding in the urinary or digestive systems appears as bloody or dark urine/stools.
Recognizing these signs could save your life. If you suspect internal bleeding, call 911 or consult with a healthcare professional immediately.
Importance of Medical Evaluation
Untreated internal bleeding can lead to dangerous complications, like hypovolemic shock. Catching your injuries right away through medical screening will help prevent long-term damage. Prioritize your health if you’ve been in a car accident and see a doctor.
Even if you appear outwardly unharmed, internal injuries can be challenging to identify without the aid of diagnostic tools like X-rays and CT/MRI scans, physical exams, and bloodwork to catch abnormal counts.
Getting the right diagnosis will help safeguard your health and support your personal injury claim. If you don’t see a doctor soon after an accident, the other party’s insurance company might argue that your injury wasn’t severe or that it was caused some other way.
Pursuing Compensation for Your Injuries
After receiving the treatment you need, you may face mounting medical expenses, emotional trauma, and financial hardship from missed work. If someone’s negligence caused your car accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for the losses you incurred.
While every case is different, you may be able to recover the following damages:
- Medical expenses: This should include the cost of medical treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, and rehabilitation.
- Lost wages: This compensation is for the income you lost due to missed work during your recovery.
- Future earnings: If the accident results in a long-term condition affecting your ability to earn income, additional compensation may be awarded.
- Property damage: This category of damage covers the repair or replacement of damaged vehicles and personal belongings.
- Pain and suffering: This broad category includes non-economic damages like physical pain and emotional distress resulting from the accident.
- Wrongful death damages: In the event of a fatal accident, the family may qualify for compensation for funeral and burial expenses as well as other more profound losses.
- Loss of consortium: This damage is sometimes awarded to a spouse for the effect the accident has on their relationship with the injured victim.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: This compensates you for your inability to engage in activities and hobbies you enjoyed before the crash.
- Punitive damages: Georgia courts sometimes award these additional damages to punish the at-fault party for egregious conduct, such as drunk driving.
Every case is unique, and the damages you qualify for will depend on the severity of your injuries and other specifics of your case. An attorney from our law firm will leave no stone unturned when evaluating your damages.
Contact Us for a Free Legal Consultation
If you’ve sustained injuries in a car accident and are unsure about your next steps, an Atlanta car accident lawyer can help. Schedule a free car accident consultation with us to discuss the details of your case.
We’ll assess your situation, answer your questions, and explain your options for pursuing financial compensation. Don’t let an insurance company take advantage of you. Contact us for a free consultation and take the first step toward obtaining the compensation you deserve.
