What is not visible to the naked eye is more difficult to detect and treat. Internal organ injuries are some of the most dangerous injuries anyone can incur after a tragic car accident. It’s even more concerning to think that they won’t be easily noticeable and only be discoverable hours or days later.
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department revealed 401,533 car collisions in 2021, out of which were 3,445 deaths and almost 164,000 injuries.
Unfortunately, when your body forcefully hits even safety devices, like seat belts and air bags, you may also be at risk of internal organ injuries.
Suffering from the inside
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) – A result of a violent blow, jolt or bump to the head disrupting the brain’s functions – is one of the most common internal organ injuries. As shown by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 190 Americans died daily from a TBI injury in 2021.
Aside from a traumatic brain injury, other internal organ injuries caused by a car accident include:
- Collapsed or punctured lungs: Due to fractured ribs
- Ruptured spleen: Due to a forceful blow to the stomach
- Internal bleeding: Due to severely traumatized blood vessels, arteries or veins
- Lacerated liver and damaged kidney: Both due to blunt or penetrating trauma
It is urgent to seek immediate medical attention. You wouldn’t want to learn that your symptoms – bruising, shortness of breath or accelerated breathing, blood in your stool or urine, abdominal swelling and pain in your chest – have escalated to the point of irreversible damage. Also, you must have medical treatment within 14 days of your car accident to claim your “personal injury protection” (PIP) insurance coverage benefits.
As a no-fault car insurance state, Florida law imposes that your PIP policy must pay for your medical needs. This provision applies regardless of who is at fault. So, you may claim 80% of medical expenses, 60% of lost income and death benefits worth $5,000.
Lifelong healing process
More than the physical pain you must endure, you must also deal with deep emotional and mental distress caused by the accident. It helps to have a legal team who will walk you through seeking compensation for your overwhelming long-term care bills. It will be a long process toward recovery, and it starts with taking comfort that you’re not facing this alone.