The impact of a severe car crash can cause victims to suffer crush injuries. The tricky thing about these devastating injuries is that you may not immediately be aware that you are hurt badly, but without urgent medical attention, they can quickly become life-threatening. Even when treated right away, a crush injury can still lead to other serious medical complications, leaving a significant and lasting impact on your health.

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, our experienced car accident lawyers in Mobile understand how catastrophic car crash injuries can impact your life and livelihood. We have helped countless victims secure the compensation they needed after being severely injured in crashes caused by another party’s negligence.

Not sure if you have a case? Don’t leave your legal options to chance. We provide a free case review to answer your questions and help you understand your legal options.

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What Are Crush Injuries and How Do They Happen in an Alabama Car Crash?

In a car accident, crush injuries occur at impact when intense pressure compresses body parts between two solid objects.

Crush injuries are common in crashes where the impact causes parts of the vehicle to collapse inward, trapping occupants between the dashboard, steering wheel, or other interior components. You can sustain a crush injury in many different types of crashes, including a rollover crash, head-on collision, or even a T-bone crash.

Common types of crush injuries from car crashes include:

• Limb Crush Injuries: Arms or legs become trapped under dashboard panels, doors, or collapsed roof structures.
• Torso Compression: Chest or abdomen gets compressed between seat and steering wheel or dashboard during frontal impacts.
• Head and Neck Crushing: Roof collapse in rollover accidents can compress the skull or cervical spine area.
• Pelvic Crush Injuries: Hip and pelvis bones suffer compression from side-impact collisions or seat belt pressure.
• Internal Organ Compression: Abdominal organs become squeezed between external forces and internal body structures.

Why Are Crush Injuries From a Car Crash So Dangerous?

Crush injuries pose immediate life-threatening dangers to crash victims. The intense pressure damages soft tissue by cutting off blood flow and oxygen to affected areas, leading to cell death and tissue destruction. Bones can fracture or shatter completely under the crushing force, while muscles and tendons may tear or become permanently damaged.

Blood vessels often rupture or become blocked during crush incidents, preventing proper circulation to injured areas. This lack of blood flow can cause additional tissue death even after the crushing pressure stops. Nerves frequently suffer damage from the compression, potentially leading to permanent loss of sensation or movement in affected body parts.

Severe Internal Damage That Quickly Worsens Without Emergent Medical Treatment

Crush injuries that affect the chest or abdomen are especially dangerous. The heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and other vital organs may bruise, tear, or even stop functioning properly after being compressed. To further compound the risk, the compressed tissue begins deteriorating rapidly as soon as the blood flow stops. Getting emergency medical care is vital for saving affected body parts and preventing systemic damage.

Emergency medical teams must act quickly to restore circulation and prevent permanent damage or loss of limbs.

Triggers Dangerous Complications That Affect Your Entire Body

After sustaining a crush injury, the human body triggers other dangerous complications that can affect your entire body, not just the crushed area. Toxins from the damaged tissue can enter your bloodstream, leading to kidney failure, heart problems, or other organ damage. The body may go into shock from blood loss, pain, or the release of harmful substances from dying cells.

Life-Threatening Internal Damage May Not Be Immediately Apparent

Crush injuries frequently cause hidden internal damage that may not show symptoms immediately after the accident. Victims might even feel relatively normal at first, only to develop serious complications hours later. This delayed onset makes crush injuries particularly dangerous because people may not seek proper medical care when treatment would be most effective.

Internal damage often proves more dangerous than visible external injuries because it may not show immediate symptoms.

How Do You Know If You Have a Crush Injury?

Crush injuries should be diagnosed by a medical doctor. It is difficult to recognize early signs of a crush injury, even if you have an open wound or fracture. You may feel relatively normal at first, especially if adrenaline from the crash is masking your pain and other warning signs.

Getting a proper medical evaluation immediately after a car crash helps to protect your health, especially to ensure you did not sustain potentially life-threatening internal injuries. Be sure to tell the ER physician you were involved in a serious car crash and communicate any symptoms you are experiencing, even if they seem minor.

Early warning signs of crush injuries include:

• Severe Pain: Intense, throbbing pain in the affected area that may worsen over time rather than improve.
• Swelling and Bruising: Rapid swelling or deep bruising that appears darker or more extensive than typical accident injuries.
• Numbness or Tingling: Loss of sensation or abnormal tingling feelings in hands, feet, or other body parts.
• Weakness or Paralysis: Inability to move or reduced strength in arms, legs, or other affected areas.
• Changes in Skin Color: Skin that appears pale, blue, or mottled due to poor blood circulation.
• Cold Sensation: Body parts that feel unusually cold to the touch or compared to uninjured areas.
• Reduced or Absent Pulse: Weak or missing pulse in areas below the injury site.
• Difficulty Breathing: Shortness of breath or chest pain that may indicate internal crushing injuries.

Is It Possible for a Crush Injury to Get Missed by an EMT Initially?

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are well trained, but they could miss crush injuries during the chaotic initial response to severe traffic incidents in Mobile. At the crash scene, EMTs need to quickly assess and prioritize obvious life-threatening conditions, like severe bleeding, breathing problems, or head trauma. The added time pressure of getting these victims stabilized and transported to nearby hospitals is intense. When you add the complication of catching the subtle early symptoms of internal crush injuries, the damage may initially seem less urgent compared to dramatic visible wounds.

EMTs have limited diagnostic tools available at the crash scene, making it even harder to detect internal crush injury damage quickly without obvious external signs. EMTs have to rely on visual inspection and basic monitoring equipment.

Serious Long-Term Complications That May Result From a Crush Injury

Crush injuries can lead to permanent disabilities and ongoing health problems that affect victims for the rest of their lives. These complications often develop weeks or months after the initial injury, creating unexpected medical costs and challenges that victims never anticipated. The impact of a victim’s long-term effects depend on which body parts were crushed, how quickly medical treatment began, and how well the victim responds.

Serious long-term complications from crush injuries include:

• Permanent Nerve Damage: Loss of feeling, movement, or function in affected limbs that may not return.
• Chronic Pain Syndrome: Ongoing severe pain that interferes with daily activities and quality of life.
• Muscle Weakness or Paralysis: Reduced strength or complete loss of movement in crushed areas.
• Kidney Failure: Organ damage from toxins released by crushed tissue, requiring ongoing dialysis or transplant.
• Amputation: Surgical removal of limbs if tissue damage proves too severe to repair.
• Compartment Syndrome: Dangerous pressure buildup in muscle compartments that can cause permanent disability.
• Infection and Sepsis: Life-threatening bacterial infections that can spread throughout the body.
• Blood Clots: Dangerous clots that can travel to lungs or brain causing strokes or pulmonary embolism.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Mental health challenges from experiencing severe trauma and ongoing physical limitations.

Why Crush Injury Crash Victims in Mobile Should Act Fast to Seek Legal Help

In Alabama, you have two years to file a claim against the at-fault party, but due to the state’s strict negligence law, we don’t recommend waiting. The longer you put off seeking legal help, the greater you risk losing critical evidence that could support your claim. The liable insurance company only needs to prove you were one percent wrong to get your case dismissed. The sooner you get an experienced attorney, the more optimal your chances are for a successful outcome.

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we don’t mess around. When we take on your case, we get to work from day one, investigating your crash and gathering key evidence that supports your claim. We speak to witnesses, getting their statements early on, and take legal steps to preserve other evidence, like surveillance camera footage.

Why Call Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys to Manage Your Mobile Car Crash Claim

Crush injuries are extremely complex, require intensive medical care and ongoing monitoring, and may often lead to other medical issues as well. The costs for these injuries can be astronomical if you have to pay for them out of your own pocket. Our Mobile law firm works hard on your behalf to protect your best interests, and we always seek to secure you the maximum possible compensation.

Worried your case may go to court? Our firm has your back. Many attorneys say they are prepared to go to court on your behalf. But at Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, our well-seasoned legal team actually pushes for it if we think it will benefit your case and get you the compensation you need faster. If your case ends up going to court, we have another unique advantage – the only realistic mock courtroom in Alabama – which we use to fully prep you for your case.

Worried about cost? Don’t be. We don’t take any money upfront. We accept injury cases on contingency, which means there are no out-of-pocket costs for you, and if we don’t win your case – you don’t owe us a dime!

Need legal help after a Mobile car crash? Call Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys today. 251-888-8888