How Car Crashes Can Cause Crush Injuries and What These Claims May Be Worth

Posted on behalf of TSR Injury Law
on November 29, 2022 in Auto Accidents

Car crashes can cause devastating injuries, particularly if a commercial truck is involved or when one or both vehicles are traveling at high speed. If any of your body parts are subjected to extreme force or pressure at impact, you could suffer a crush injury. These injuries can result in a variety of symptoms that could become life-threatening or life-altering.

Below, we discuss crush injuries in a car crash, including common symptoms and what they may be worth in an insurance claim. If you were seriously injured in a crash, our attorneys are ready to help you pursue full compensation for your damages.

We know crash victims often have many questions about insurance claims, including whether they need, or can afford, a lawyer.

At TSR Injury Law, there are no upfront costs or fees with our services. Our Bloomington-based car accident attorneys have been representing crash victims for more than 20 years. During that time, we have obtained millions on behalf of our clients. Unlike insurance companies, our goal is to obtain all the compensation you need, and we have the resources and legal experience to build a robust case.

How Could a Car Crash Cause a Crush Injury?

You may have heard about crush injuries happening in workplaces, such as factories or construction sites. For example, workers could have a body part get pinned under a heavy piece of machinery or caught between two pieces of machinery. Workers could also get hit by falling debris that pins them down, causing a crush injury.

These injuries can also happen in high-speed car crashes. If the force of impact is great enough, vehicles could suffer significant structural damage. This could cause your arms, legs or chest to get pinned in place by the wreckage.

If you get into a rear-end crash with a commercial truck, such as an underride crash, the back of the truck’s trailer could break through your windshield and hit you in the chest. If a commercial truck hits the back of your car and pushes your vehicle into another, your vehicle could be compacted, subjecting your body to a crush injury.

A semi-truck could also run over a smaller passenger vehicle or run over a pedestrian or bicyclist. This could cause a severe crush injury.

It may also be possible for a vehicle’s engine to be pushed into the passenger compartment during the collision. In a rollover crash, occupants may become pinned between the vehicle and the ground. Pedestrians could suffer crush injuries if they get hit by a car and are pinned between the car and a fixed object, such as a wall or another vehicle.

No matter the cause, these injuries can be severe, and without the help of an experienced attorney, it can be difficult to recover full compensation for your damages. TSR Injury Law is committed to pursuing full compensation.

Symptoms That Often Happen After a Crush Injury

There are numerous signs that a crash victim has suffered a crush injury, including the following:

Severe bruising
Broken bones (including bones in the arms, legs, head, neck, back or ribs)
Nerve damage
Severe lacerations
Severe bleeding

Damage to soft tissues and muscles
Acute injury to the lungs
Lactic acidosis
Damage to internal organs
Infections

These and other injury symptoms should be treated immediately. Waiting to seek treatment can be incredibly dangerous, particularly with a crush injury. Not seeking treatment quickly can put you at risk for life-threatening complications. This is especially true if the crush injury affects your torso, as your vital organs are inside.

Potential Long-Term Impact of a Crush Injury

Potentially life-threatening medical conditions can develop after crash victims suffer crush injuries. For example, if a limb was crushed in a crash, you might develop limb ischemia. This refers to reduced blood flow to the area. Even with treatment, victims may need to have the limb amputated. There is also a risk of cardiovascular complications.

Some of the long-term risks with crush injuries can include:

Crush Syndrome

When the body is subjected to intense pressure, cells can die quickly. When cells die this quickly, they release toxins into the bloodstream. This could put you into cardiac arrest or even cause kidney failure. In extreme cases, crush syndrome can be fatal. That is why immediate treatment for a crush injury is so important.

Hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia occurs when cell death causes too much potassium to be released into the bloodstream. This condition could become fatal if it triggers cardiac arrest.

Hypovolemic Shock

This is a condition that occurs when you lose at least 15 percent of your body’s supply of blood. When this happens, your heart cannot pump enough blood through your body and your organs could shut down.

Compartment Syndrome

If muscles, nerves and tendons are compressed into a small space or compartment, tissues may be unable to get enough blood.

There may also be a risk of paralysis with a crush injury, such as a crush injury to one of the legs or to the spine.

Treatment for Crush Injuries

Unfortunately, there are times when a crush injury results in amputation of a limb. This may be the only way to remove some victims from the damaged vehicle.

There are also times when doctors later decide to amputate because of restricted blood flow, which can cause the cells and tissues in the extremity to die. It can be dangerous to leave a limb attached in this condition. It could cause infections or toxins to spread throughout the body.

Amputation is only necessary in extreme cases. However, there are many other potential treatment options, such as hemodialysis, which may help prevent kidney failure. Other treatments may include:

Mannitol therapy, which is meant to flush out toxins that may have gotten into the kidneys
Forced alkaline diuresis, which is another way to flush out the kidneys
Close monitoring of patients to detect cardiac arrythmias

Replenishing electrolytes and treating abnormalities with electrolytes
Using an IV to slowly replenish fluids in the area that was crushed

Determining the Value of a Claim for a Crush Injury

There are many factors that can affect the value of a claim for a crush injury, particularly the severity of the injury. For example, a crush injury to the torso could be much worse than a crush injury to an arm or leg. When a crush injury causes the amputation of a limb, the victim’s ability to work may be greatly affected, increasing the value of the victim’s damages.

Older victims and younger victims tend to be more fragile, which means a crush injury could be more devastating to their bodies. These victims may need more compensation than others.

Regardless of the victim’s age or health, he or she will likely need aggressive treatment for a crush injury. This treatment could reduce the risk of severe or even fatal consequences; however, it is not cheap.

Crash victims who suffer crush injuries may also need ongoing medical treatment. This means they may continue to accrue medical expenses, even after settling their claims and receiving compensation. That is why victims need an experienced attorney who knows how to calculate the full value of medical treatment.

Your attorney will need to review your medical records and talk to your doctors to determine what treatment you may need to manage your symptoms and protect your quality of life.

Injured in a Crash? Call to Discuss an Insurance Claim

Unsure about how to seek compensation for a crush injury or another type of injury you suffered in a vehicle crash?

Contact TSR Injury Law to discuss the crash and learn how we may be able to assist you. We represent crash victims at no upfront cost, which means no fees to take your case and no fees while working on your case.

While many claims settle, we are also prepared to take cases to court to obtain full compensation. Without an experienced attorney with a record of taking cases to court, it may be much harder to recover all the compensation you need.

Contact TSR Injury Law today. We are ready to help: (612) TSR-TIME.

Linking a Wrist Injury to a Minnesota Car Crash

Posted on behalf of TSR Injury Law
on May 10, 2022 in Auto Accidents

Car crash victims often suffer injuries to the hands and wrists, ranging from dislocations to sprains and fractures. When a wrist injury is visible on an X-ray, it is generally easier to link to injury to a car crash.

However, wrist injuries do not always manifest symptoms immediately and a fracture may not show up on an imaging test. The insurance company may say that your wrist injury is not as serious as you claim or that your injury is not related to the crash. They may also argue that your injury is preexisting, which means that your auto insurance policy would not apply.

Our licensed auto accident attorneys in Bloomington discuss what it takes to validate a car crash claim for wrist-related injuries.

We are prepared to answer any questions you may have during a risk-free, zero-obligation consultation. It costs nothing up front to use our services. Our firm only receives payment if you are compensated.

Learn if you have a case: (612) TSR-TIME.

Wrist Injuries Often Caused by Car Crashes

Car crashes can cause serious wrist-related injuries. A victim’s wrist can be injured by holding onto the steering wheel upon impact. The wrist could also hit objects in the car’s interior during the crash, such as the steering wheel, air bags, window, dashboard or windshield. Damage to any part of the wrist can cause serious pain and swelling and affect your ability to use your wrist and hand.

Common wrist injuries after a car crash include:

Dislocations

The joints in the wrist can become dislocated due to the impact of the crash. When the joints are dislocated, your wrists and hands are unable to move properly. Dislocations can be very painful and may result in permanent damage if medical treatment is delayed, or the injury is left untreated.

Sprains

A wrist sprain is an injury where the ligaments in the wrist stretch or tear. Ligaments are connective tissues that attach bones to joints. If your wrist hits a hard object in a car crash, your ligaments can become damaged, which is also called a sprain. Wrist sprains are painful and can become a chronic injury.

There are three levels of sprain:

A Grade 1 sprain (mild) where the wrist’s ligaments are stretched but not torn.
A Grade 2 sprain (moderate) where some wrist ligaments may be partially torn.
A Grade 3 sprain (severe) where one or more wrist ligaments are completely torn.

Fractures

Each of your wrists has 13 bones extending into your hands, which then connect to the 14 bones in your fingers. These bones are fragile and have a greater risk of being fractured or crushed from blunt force impact, such as in a car crash.

Damage to Tendons

The wrist tendons connect your forearm muscles to the hand and finger bones. The tendons can become inflamed due to blunt force impact. This inflammation – known as tendonitis of the wrist – can cause a great deal of pain when you grip and lift objects or move your wrists or fingers.

Importance of Medical Treatment After a Crash

It is important to seek immediate medical treatment after a car crash to check for wrist injuries. These types of injuries can get worse and may cause chronic issues if you are not seen by a doctor right away.

Additionally, since so many factors can lead to wrist pain, diagnosing the exact cause can be difficult. An accurate diagnosis is critical for proper treatment. A doctor can take diagnostic and imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs to determine the extent and severity of your wrist injury. Based on these results, he or she will be able to put a plan together to best treat your injury.

Your medical record can help to directly link your wrist injury to the car crash. By getting medical treatment and following your doctor’s orders, the insurance company will have a harder time arguing the existence and severity of your injuries in an attempt to deny your car crash claim.

Learn How Our Attorneys May Be Able to Help

It is never too soon to call an attorney for help after a crash. TSR Injury Law offers a free initial consultation with no legal obligation to hire our firm. This meeting is an opportunity to let us know what happened so we can determine how we may be able to assist you during this difficult time.

If you have a viable claim, there are zero upfront fees to get started. We only get paid for the services we provide if we help you obtain compensation. Our intake staff is ready to take your call anytime 24/7.

Call (612) TSR-TIME for Trusted Legal Help.

How a Gap in Your Medical Treatment Could Affect Your Claim for Compensation

Posted on behalf of TSR Injury Law
on December 23, 2021 in Auto Accidents

Car insurance companies are always looking for a reason to deny a claim for compensation or offer much less compensation than the victim may be eligible to receive. That is why it is important for victims to take steps to protect the value of their claim.

One step that is arguably more important than the others is establishing a record of consistent treatment of your injuries. That means getting to the doctor soon after the crash and attending all follow-up appointments. In addition to documenting your claim, it is important to have consistent treatment to get back to your pre-crash health.

If you wait too long after the crash to seek treatment, or you skip appointments, the insurance company will argue your injuries are not that severe. They may also try to deny your claim, saying your injuries are not connected to the accident.

Below, our experienced Bloomington-based auto accident attorneys discuss the problems with gaps in medical treatment and what injury victims can do to help protect their claims.

Two Types of Gaps in Medical Treatment

The first type of gap that might affect your claim for compensation is a gap between the time of the crash and when you first saw a doctor to treat your injuries.

A gap of a couple of hours is not all that unusual. Unless you were transported from the scene in an ambulance, you might be there a couple of hours while police investigate the scene and complete their report. If you went directly from the scene of the crash to the hospital, it would be very difficult for the insurance company to claim you waited to seek treatment.

However, if you waited until the next day or even longer to seek treatment, the insurance company will start to investigate if you were injured because of something besides the crash. They may say you were involved in some other type of accident, and this was the cause of your injuries, not the crash. A timelapse of a week or longer to seek initial care could damage the causation between crash and treatment. This claim may not hold up if your attorney challenges the insurance company on it, but this issue could make your claim more difficult than it needs to be.

Even if you think your injuries are not that serious, it is better to be cautious and see a doctor right away. If you are wrong, you may be glad you did because your medical records will help link your injuries to the crash. Even if you are right that your injuries are not that serious, you will know you have a doctor’s opinion backing up your own.

The other type of gap in medical treatment occurs when an injury victim skips an appointment or stops his or her treatment. The victim’s medical records show treatment stopped, which makes them assume the victim is fully healed or has reached the point of maximum medical improvement.

It is important to note there are legitimate reasons for missing doctor appointments. Maybe you could not get PTO at work or could not find a ride to the doctor because your car is still being repaired or you went out of town to help an elderly parent. Life happens, and this should not prevent you from recovering compensation. However, it is important to keep your attorney informed about missed appointments and why you missed them. More important than that is to reschedule appointments and continue your treatment. Taking steps like these helps to show the insurance company you are taking the situation seriously. Missing some appoints for real life reasons is allowed, but there is a limit to “excuses” that cause a lack of medical treatment.

Keep in mind your lawyer may be able to recover compensation for lost wages. If you are concerned about missing work to attend an appointment because you will lose wages, you can include lost wages in your claim. Minnesota No-Fault covers up to $500.00 a week tax-free, and other lost wages can be part of the injury settlement. You may also have short- and long-term disability policies that help cushion lost wages while recovering. While missing work can be bad in the short term, in the long run, missing work to get treatment can help your claim.

What if I Disagree with a Recommended Treatment?

These things can happen, and you are not required to go through with a type of treatment simply because you are trying to recover compensation for your damages. Your first concern with your treatment is doing what you think is in your best interests after discussing things with your family and your doctor. Your health recovery is most important, and you need to feel comfortable and have confidence in the treatment plan.

If you are unsure about a recommended treatment, you can research it, discuss it with your doctor, talk to your family, and even seek another opinion about your treatment. Keep your attorney informed so he or she will be prepared if the insurance company tries to use this against you.

You should not make decisions about your treatment based on how you think a particular treatment may affect the value of your claim. For example, a related surgery may increase the value of your legal claim but should only be considered if as a human it would help your pain. You need to make the best decision for you as a person first, then we can deal with the legal side.

Following Your Doctor’s Orders

While continuing your medical treatment is vital to the success of your claim, so is following the doctor’s orders between appointments. If the doctor tells you to avoid certain activities or to limit physical activity, make sure to follow his or her orders.

Disobeying your doctor’s orders could cause your injuries to worsen and could give the insurance company reason to think you are exaggerating your injuries. Disobeying doctor’s orders can be particularly bad if you post pictures to social media of you engaging in physical activity that makes it look like you are not injured.

Give Us a Call to Discuss Your Car Crash Claim

We have been helping car accident victims recover compensation for their damages for more than 20 years. We have been able to secure settlements from numerous insurance companies and are also prepared to go to court when necessary.

We understand this is a difficult time for you and your family and that is why there are no upfront fees for our services. We want you to know there is no financial risk in meeting with us or having us handle your case. We do not get paid unless you receive compensation.

Give us a call today to learn more. (612) TSR-TIME

Tag: medical treatment