Thunder Bay Internal Bleeding Lawyer
No one expects to be in a car accident, but when it does happen, the people involved in the accident can have injuries that result in internal bleeding. This can cause excruciating pain and be expensive to repair. If you have suffered from internal bleeding injuries due to the negligence of another person, you may have legal options.
Internal Bleeding Causes
In most situations, internal bleeding is caused by impact to the body. The amount of force can determine how severe the injuries are.
- Blunt Trauma – Blunt force trauma will always result to injuries outside of the body, but they will not always cause enough damage to the inside to cause bleeding. However, if enough force is applied, internal bleeding can occur. An organ can be torn, causing blood to flow inside the body where it should not be.
- Deceleration Trauma – This time of trauma can result in organs shifting inside the body. This can cause blood vessels to be torn away from organs causing bleeding. This type of trauma is often the cause of intracranial bleeding. Force to the head can result in deceleration or acceleration trauma, which results in the brain moving inside of the skull and small veins near the surface of the brain tearing. Even a small amount of bleeding in the brain can increase the pressure in the skull and decrease brain functions.
- Bone Fractures – Broken bones may result in internal bleeding. Bones have bone marrow inside, which is used in blood production, therefore, a large amount of blood loss can occur when a bone is broken. There are also a lot of blood vessels that surrounds bones and if the bone is broken, it can tear these vessels, causing massive internal bleeding.
Internal Bleeding Symptoms
Because internal bleeding happens commonly in car accidents, it is important to know the symptoms and signs of these injuries. In some situations, however, it can take several days for symptoms of these injuries to appear.
Depending on the location of the injury and how much blood loss has occurred, the symptoms of internal bleeding can vary. Here are a few of the symptoms of internal bleeding that you should be aware of:
- Intracranial Bleeding – This type of bleeding may result in altered mental functioning, weakness, vision loss, or strokes. The longer the bleeding inside goes undetected and the worse the bleeding is, the easier the symptoms are to recognize.
- Intra-abdominal Bleeding – These symptoms are often hidden and only detected if there is pain. If the victim of the injury suffers enough blood loss, he or she may experience lightheadedness, shock, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure.
If you suspect you or someone around you has an internal injury, you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible. The longer internal bleeding injury goes untreated, the more severe the complications can be. These injuries can even result in death.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If your doctor suspects that you may be suffering from internal bleeding, they may order imaging tests to find the source of the bleeding. These tests can be extensive. The most common types of these tests include the following:
- Fiber optic scopes to look in the stomach, esophagus, or colon to check for gastrointestinal bleeding. If the doctor is able to find the source of the bleeding, they may be able to use electricity to cauterize the injury that is bleeding.
- CT scans are most commonly used when bleeding is suspected in the brain. This test can also identify fractures of the skull and brain swelling.
- Ultrasounds are a type of test that can be used to look for bleeding in the abdomen.
- Angiography testing may be ordered to evaluate the flow of arterial blood if the doctor believes the bleeding could be the result of a damaged artery.
The proper treatment for these injuries will depend on where the bleeding is taking place, how stable the patient is, how much blood is being lost, and other factors.
Can Internal Bleeding Go Away on its Own?
Some types of internal bleeding are more serious than others. For example, internal bleeding that is coming from a soft tissue surrounding a broken bone will require monitoring but will likely heal on its own after the bone is set. Brain bleeding or bleeding around other vital organs are typically emergency situations and are not likely to heal on their own.
If you think you may be suffering from internal bleeding, you need to seek medical attention immediately. Internal bleeding cannot be diagnosed on your own. You must seek emergency room treatment so doctors can order tests with proper medical equipment to diagnose you.
What if Internal Bleeding Goes Unaddressed?
If left unaddressed, internal bleeding can result in death. If you survive internal bleeding, complications may include anemia, neuropathy, organ failure, shock, paralysis, brain injury, and coma. Depending on how severe the wound is and where it is located, the symptoms may happen immediately after the trauma occurs, or present more slowly over a period of time. Once doctors are able to find the source of the bleeding, physicians can closely watch any internal bleeding, reduce any pressure inside and decrease damage to the organs, and provide fluids to replace those lost as needed. In severe cases, a patient may need surgery to make the bleeding stop and protect his or her organs.
Internal bleeding should always be considered a medical emergency. Be sure when you seek medical care you tell the doctor about any medical conditions you have and what medications you take. Both of these can play a role in the seriousness and treatment needed for internal bleeding injuries.
CONTACT PRESZLER INJURY LAWYERS TODAY
Depending on how severe the internal bleeding was, this type of injury can cause organ failure, coma, strokes, and even death. If you or your loved one suffered internal bleeding injuries due to the negligence of another driver, you need to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Preszler Injury Lawyers have years of experience helping our clients get the compensation that they deserve. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.