Almost everyone at some point in their lives experiences a car accident. The experience is so common now that it is highly unlikely that a person who drives or rides in vehicles at all would not experience such an accident at some point. In the developed world, it nearly counts as a basic human experience.
However, car accidents are not a basic human experience at all. It is only within the last century that automobiles have risen in popularity and use in the developed and developing worlds: We often forget that these accidents are often far more damaging and violent than they may seem. Much of this is due to modern safety features, and some of it owes to our general familiarity with riding and driving vehicles.
In many instances, car accidents produce injuries that victims may not feel for hours or even days after the fact. In that time, these injuries often worsen, creating the potential for long-term suffering and increased recovery time, and some are potentially fatal. If you recently experienced a car accident, you should seek professional medical care whether you believe that you suffered an injury or not. In some cases, doing so may save your life.
Potentially fatal abdominal injuries
Some injuries only produce short-term pain, or may entail long-term suffering and disability, such as whiplash or a mild traumatic brain injury from a blow to the head. However, abdominal injuries are an immediate threat to the life of a victim. Two of the most commonly fatal abdominal injuries are internal bleeding and organ damage, both of which may not produce pain at first.
Internal bleeding is potentially deadly not only because of blood loss itself, but because of the possible infection at the site of the bleeding. Such an infection may quickly spread through the circulation system and affect many other organs in the victim’s body, including the victim’s brain.
Organ damage may not cause pain initially, but once the organ suffers sufficient strain, it will fail. Organ failure is both deadly and exceptionally painful, and once an organ fails, it is difficult for a victim to make a full recovery.
Get help immediately
If you experience abdominal pain after a car accident, it is essential that you stop whatever you are doing and seek out medical care immediately. Once you receive a professional diagnosis and proper treatment to stabilize you, consider the legal grounds you may have to pursue a personal injury claim. If someone else’s actions or negligence caused your accident, a personal injury claim can help you obtain fair compensation to cover the costs of your medical care and other expenses and losses caused by your injury.