Living With Lung Injuries After an Accident
Personal Injury Attorney | The aftermath of a car accident is always extremely stressful, and sometimes extremely painful as well. After a crash, you may have to deal with insurance issues, car repairs, court appearances, rental fees, medical bills, and the lasting health consequences of a sudden forceful impact. Car accident injuries can range from mild to severe. Some of the most troubling can impact your respiration for years to come. Keep reading to learn more about living with lung injuries after a car accident, and if you’ve suffered damages due to someone else’s negligence, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your case.
Your body is a carefully constructed machine with innumerable moving parts working together to keep you healthy and productive. Vital organs, like lungs, are protected from everyday impacts by layers of skin, bone, muscle, and fat. Sometimes, the force of a car accident proves too much for our bodies internal padding, resulting in injuries to our most vital organs. Types of lung injuries from a car crash include:
- Punctured Lung – A serious accident creates a lot of sharp objects propelled by a great deal of force, any of which could cause a punctured lung. Broken ribs from the force of impact may also splinter in such a way that the lung is punctured. Sufferers of a punctured lung will experience pain, pressure, and shortness of breath and should seek immediate medical treatment to avoid potentially life-threatening complications. Depending on the severity of the injury, a doctor may allow a puncture to heal on its own. More severe punctures may require aspiration through a tube to facilitate re-inflation, or surgical intervention.
- Collapsed Lung – A punctured lung can develop into a collapsed lung when air around the lung builds up pressure making it impossible for it to properly inflate. Victims of a collapsed lung may experience symptoms like sharp chest pain that radiates upon inhaling, difficulty breathing, and a hacking cough. If you experience these symptoms or think you may have a collapsed lung, you should seek treatment immediately as complications can be deadly. A collapsed lung may be treated through different methods meant to stabilize pressure, like aspiration through a chest tube. Most patients recover completely in one to two weeks.
- Inhalation Damage – Car accidents can result in serious fires. The drivers and passengers involved may be exposed to burning chemicals or severe smoke inhalation. Injury to the inside of your lungs from chemical burns or smoke inhalation could be serious, and the damage could be long term. Sufferers with the most severe damage could become oxygen dependent and experience a drastic decline in mobility. – Chicago Lawyer
The employment discrimination lawyers at Printy Law Firm can inform you of legal options you may not know you have. If you or a loved one has experienced an injury or wrongful death due to someone else’s negligence, contact The Personal Injury Department at Printy Law Firm.
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