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The force of a car accident can injure organs, blood vessels, and other structures inside the body without leaving an obvious wound. You may walk away from the crash, speak with the police, and even return home before realizing something is wrong.
Some internal injuries cause symptoms immediately. Others develop gradually as bleeding, swelling, or inflammation increases. The signs of internal injury after car accident trauma can also resemble stress, soreness, or other common reactions to a collision, making them easier to dismiss.
Pay close attention to new symptoms and changes in how you feel during the hours and days after a crash. The following warning signs were selected because they can point to blood loss, organ damage, chest trauma, or injuries requiring prompt medical treatment.
Concerned About an Injury After a Florida Car Accident?
Your health comes first after a collision. Seek emergency medical attention for severe, worsening, or unexplained symptoms. Once you are medically stable, Osborne, Francis & Pettis can review the accident, explain your legal options, and help you pursue compensation from the responsible party. Call (561) 293-2600 for a free consultation.
Abdominal pain following a collision can indicate an injury to the liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, or blood vessels. The abdomen may absorb tremendous force from a seat belt, steering wheel, dashboard, or side-impact collision.
The location of the pain may offer clues about the injured area. Pain beneath the left ribs may be associated with a spleen injury, while pain on the right side may involve the liver. Kidney injuries can cause pain along the side or lower back.
Any pain that becomes sharper, spreads, or worsens over time deserves immediate attention. Internal bleeding can irritate the tissues inside the abdomen and cause increasing pain or tenderness. A ruptured spleen, for instance, can cause life-threatening bleeding after a forceful blow during a car crash.
Your abdomen may become swollen or unusually firm when blood or fluid collects inside the abdominal cavity. Some people describe a feeling of pressure, fullness, or bloating that continues to increase after the accident.
Visible swelling may develop slowly, so compare how your abdomen looks and feels over time. You may also notice that clothing feels tighter or that changing positions becomes uncomfortable.
Abdominal swelling combined with pain, tenderness, dizziness, weakness, or pale skin requires urgent medical evaluation. Severe liver injuries, for example, can produce abdominal pain, tenderness, swelling, and symptoms of shock.
Feeling dizzy after a crash may be attributed to adrenaline, emotional distress, dehydration, or a possible concussion. It can also indicate that blood loss is reducing the amount of oxygen reaching your brain.
Watch for:
These symptoms become especially concerning when accompanied by a rapid pulse, sweating, abdominal pain, or confusion. The signs of internal bleeding after car accident trauma can become clearer as blood loss progresses, even when the person initially appeared stable.
Do not drive yourself to the hospital if you feel faint or disoriented. Call 911 or have someone seek emergency assistance for you.
A forceful impact can damage the lungs, ribs, heart, or blood vessels inside the chest. Blood may collect around a lung, air may escape into the chest cavity, or a fractured rib may injure nearby organs.
Warning signs include:
A collapsed lung can occur after blunt chest trauma and commonly causes sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. In some cases, the condition can become life-threatening.
Chest pain after a collision should never be self-diagnosed. Call 911 when pain is severe, breathing is difficult, or symptoms are getting worse.
Changes in skin color or temperature can signal that the body is struggling to maintain circulation. As blood volume drops, the body directs blood toward vital organs, which may leave the skin pale, cool, damp, or bluish.
You may also experience:
These are possible symptoms of shock, a medical emergency that can occur after significant blood loss. MedlinePlus identifies clammy skin, dizziness, low blood pressure, paleness, a rapid pulse, shortness of breath, and weakness among the warning signs associated with bleeding and shock.
Were Your Injuries Caused by a Negligent Driver?
Medical bills, missed work, and follow-up treatment can quickly place financial pressure on your family. Osborne, Francis & Pettis investigates serious Florida car accidents and pursues compensation for the losses caused by negligent drivers.
Call (561) 293-2600 to discuss your case during a free consultation. You pay no attorney’s fees unless the firm recovers compensation for you.
Bruising is common after a collision, but its location, severity, and progression can reveal areas that absorbed substantial force. Large, deep, or spreading bruises across the chest, abdomen, side, or lower back may accompany an internal injury.
A pronounced mark across the abdomen or chest from the seat belt deserves particular attention. The seat belt may have prevented a fatal injury while still transferring enough force to damage abdominal organs, blood vessels, or the chest wall.
Tell the medical provider exactly where you were seated, where the vehicle was struck, and whether the seat belt tightened across your body. Photograph bruising as it develops because discoloration may become more visible several hours after the crash.
Bruising alone does not confirm an internal injury. Bruising accompanied by pain, swelling, dizziness, breathing problems, or weakness creates greater cause for concern.
Visible blood can indicate damage somewhere inside the urinary or digestive system. Depending on the injury, you may notice:
Blood in the urine may occur with injuries to the kidneys, bladder, or urinary tract. Bladder trauma can also cause abdominal tenderness, pelvic pain, difficulty urinating, and abdominal distention.
Black stool or vomit resembling coffee grounds may indicate bleeding higher in the digestive tract. These symptoms require prompt medical attention, even when the amount of visible blood appears small.
Confusion after a crash may indicate a brain injury, reduced blood flow, shock, or another serious medical problem. The injured person may have trouble answering simple questions, remembering what happened, recognizing people, or staying awake.
Friends and family sometimes notice these changes before the injured person does. Warning signs may include:
Bleeding inside or around the brain can develop after a head injury, including one that did not cause an obvious wound. Call 911 when someone becomes confused, loses consciousness, cannot remain awake, develops one-sided weakness, or experiences a worsening headache after a collision.
Internal bleeding may produce few or no symptoms at first. Pain from one injury can also distract you from another, and adrenaline may temporarily change how your body processes pain.
Emergency departments use physical examinations, blood tests, ultrasound, CT scans, and other diagnostic tools to identify injuries that cannot be seen from the outside. The appropriate testing will depend on your symptoms, the location of the impact, and the amount of force involved.
Do not wait for every symptom on this list to appear. A single serious symptom can justify emergency care. You should also return for medical evaluation when symptoms change after an earlier examination or new problems develop after you leave the hospital.
Delayed symptoms do not automatically mean the injury is minor or unrelated to the collision. However, the insurance company may question why you waited to seek treatment or argue that something else caused the condition.
Prompt medical attention creates a record of:
Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions and attend recommended appointments. Keep copies of medical records, bills, discharge instructions, prescriptions, and documentation showing missed work.
Avoid accepting an early settlement before your doctors have determined the extent of your injuries. Once you sign a release, you generally cannot request additional compensation if your condition worsens or you later need surgery, rehabilitation, or ongoing care.
Internal injuries can lead to emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, time away from work, and months of follow-up care. When another driver caused the crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other accident-related losses.
The attorneys at Osborne, Francis & Pettis represent people injured in car accidents throughout Florida. Our team can investigate the collision, preserve evidence, review your medical documentation, handle communications with the insurance companies, and pursue the full compensation available for your injuries.
Call (561) 293-2600 or contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis online to request a free consultation. There are no attorney’s fees unless the firm recovers compensation for you.
We offer personal injury victims a boutique style experience, while still providing the resources and aggressive legal representation of a large firm.
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Osborne Francis & Pettis Welcomes Former Deputy Chief of the Civil Division and Chief of the Civil Rights Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office
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Quick and fair resolution to a unique case. On advice of my own attorney, I engaged Joseph Osborne of Osborne & Francis of Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Osborne had considerable experience in cases such as mine and the results showed that. Mr. Osborne and his staff were very helpful, kept me up to date, and listened to my input. The settlement was very fair as far as I am concerned.
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Hiring a lawyer is the first step towards recovering a better quality of life. At Osborne, Francis & Pettis, we devote our undivided attention to each client, and all communications are held in the strictest privacy. Contact us by filling out the form or calling us directly at (561) 621-1385.
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