Florida Accident “Crush” Injuries — How They Cause Injury

Truck Accidents Often Result in Crush Injuries

Crushing injuries occur when a portion of a person’s body is compressed between opposing surfaces. These accidents occur in various situations ranging from truck accidents to car accidents to on-the-job equipment malfunctions. The aftermath of crushing injuries often leaves victims with serious and life-changing injuries. Due to the devastating nature of crush injuries, victims often struggle to return to life as it was before the accident. It is essential to understand the medicine involved in treating crush injuries as well as the physiology of the injury itself.

Common Causes of Florida Crushing Accidents

While crushing accidents occur in various ways, some of the most common causes include:

• Motor vehicle accidents in which a driver or passenger is pinned inside of a vehicle. Many of these accidents are side-impact collisions.
• Motorcycle accidents.
• Forklifts and heavy equipment that run over workers’ limbs.
• Materials like bricks and heavy boards that fall on workers from elevated heights.
• Moving parts of machinery that do not contain adequate safety guards or emergency stopping devices.
• Falls from elevated positions such as ladders and scaffold.

 Injuries Commonly Suffered in Crushing Accidents

Some of the most common injuries, in addition to scrapes, bruises and lacerations, that victims incur as a result of crushing accidents include:

• If the damage is too substantial or the risk of more serious infection exists, medical professionals might be required to amputate an arm or leg after a crushing accident.
• Compartment syndrome. Bleeding or swelling in arm or leg muscles can damage nerve cells, disrupt blood flow, and lead to long-lasting harm. Compartments are made up of blood vessels, muscle tissues, and nerves that are covered by a membrane. When the membrane is not able to expand, it is unable to grow, and the body can suffer damage.
• As a result of the damage to cellular membranes in a crush injury, potassium and other toxins are leaked from the cells, along with calcium rush into cells. This process results these toxins leaking into the compressed area of the crush injury and is the physiology behind compartment syndrome. Hyperkalemia in its most severe form can lead to kidney failure and cardiac distress.
• Complex regional pain syndrome. This condition commonly results from an injury and involves chronic pain that is more debilitating than would be anticipated. The condition typically affects a person’s arms or legs and can be permanent if the victim does not receive adequate medical care.
• Crush fractures. The pressure of body parts being compressed can result in broken bones. Crush fractures most commonly include fingers, feet, and vertebrae.
• Crush syndrome. This localized injury causes muscles to break down and release toxins throughout a person’s body which can result in organ failure and tissue damage.
• This condition can be caused by the rapid breakdown of crushed skeletal and muscular material. The toxins released through this breakdown are harmful to the kidneys and often leads to kidney failure.
• Double crush syndrome. Injuries of this nature involve compression at two more locations along a nerve, which leads to substantial pain.
• Neurological complications. Often, neurological injuries are included as a component of crush injuries. In addition, development of neurological injury considerable time after initial recovery is common. Those neurological conditions can include: carpal tunnel syndrome, radiculopathy in the spine, and multifocal neuropathy.

Do You Need a Lawyer in a Crush Injury Situation?

If you experienced a crush injury, you likely have a long road of recovery ahead and a mountain of medical bills.

As with all negligence cases, prompt investigation is essential for determining what parties were at fault and the identity of those parties. Evidence must be quickly identified and preserved in a way that allows for it to subsequently be used in trial.

Because these types of injuries are so complex and often involve multiple medical specialists, obtaining medical records and having the reviewed by experts where needed is very important. Recording the opinions of treating physicians and interviewing care givers timely are also important things needing to be done.  

A strong legal strategy will help you obtain the compensation you deserve to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and emotional pain and suffering. We have the necessary resources, skill, experience and dedication to fully investigate these types of cases and fight for full compensation for our clients.  

If you have been injured, contact us now for a free evaluation of your case.