What are the Long-Term Consequences of Crush Injuries?

Personal Injury Lawyers Fighting for Compensation for Victims of Crush Injuries in Ft. Lauderdale, Sunrise and West Palm Beach, Florida

Crush injuries come from activities or agents that crush the human body. These are typically associated with physical trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident. Crush injuries are mild to fatal in severity and can result in soft tissue damage or even death. However, soft tissue injuries are what can be the source of many complications.

The long-term consequences of crush injuries are often not explored but should be. If you are in a catastrophic accident, you most likely will encounter crush injuries. Those crush injuries will affect you the rest of your life, and could probably leave you permanently disabled.

What is a Crush Injury?

A crush injury or wound occurs when the entire body or parts of the body are forcefully compressed in between two hard surfaces. The muscle mass is compressed; therefore, all blood flow is restricted and oxygen to the tissues is limited, resulting in ischemia. Tissue death, known as necrosis, follows within just a few hours of the injury.

These injuries are common in:

• Workplace accidents
• Automobile versus pedestrian accidents
• Building collapses
• Landslides
• Man-made accidents
• Falls
• Motorcycle versus motor vehicle accidents

The Types of Crush Injuries

Crush injuries or tissue compression produces wounds and traumatic amputations. Crush injuries can include lacerations, contusions, hematomas, and severe soft tissue destruction. Injuries could include a full-thickness injury or loss of bone and tissue.

The Potential Complications of Crush Injuries

Crush injuries affect the entire body because blood flow is restricted. Rhabdomyolysis is a common complication, which comes from the pressure on the muscles and the crush injury. As the muscles break down, they release bone marrow and other inflammatory mediators. These then affect the kidneys and can lead to a toxic effect on the whole body.

Acute renal failure is a common complication from crush injuries, which can have an impact on a victim for the rest of their life. They may even require a kidney transplant or remain on dialysis.

Another long-term complication is the disability that comes from amputation. When the limbs are severely deprived of oxygen and blood flow, necrosis settles in. Once necrosis takes over, the only remedy is to remove the dead tissue. There is no saving the damaged tissues, and a surgeon must work quickly to remove the dead tissue before it continues to spread throughout the body.

This leads to a victim that may suffer from amputated legs, arms, appendages, and so forth. When a person loses his or her legs, they are permanently disabled. They may be unable to work in the career field they were in, enjoy life with family, and may experience chronic pain.

Victims of Crush Injuries Have Options

If you have suffered a crush injury because of a motor vehicle accident or another incident that resulted from someone’s negligence, you have the right to collect compensation.

For your crush injuries, you need to receive compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and the pain and suffering you are likely to experience long after your injuries heal.

Contact the Law Offices of Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld P.A for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Schedule your appointment with our attorneys at (954) 677-0155(954) 677-0155 You can also complete an online contact form, and a staff member will contact you to schedule your free consultation appointment.