Traumatic Injuries – Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

Sudden and severe injuries are traumatic. They can result from blunt force, penetration or burns. They require immediate medical attention. They can be so severe that they result in shock trauma. The shock trauma victim often requires resuscitation in order to save his or her life. Traumatic injuries require transportation to an emergency room by ambulance or even by helicopter. Time is of the essence in the first 45 minutes after any severe traumatic injury.

Victims of traumatic injuries often face disabilities and challenges for the rest of their lives. Their injuries profoundly affect their families both financially and emotionally. Some common types of traumatic injuries include:

• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Spinal fractures
• Facial and dental trauma
• Crushes and amputations

Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is usually the result of blunt force trauma or the penetration of bone or a foreign object into the skull. Symptoms of a mild TBI like a slight concussion might clear up in a week. A severe traumatic brain injury is likely to be permanent and might result in slurred speech, profound confusion, coma and a significantly shortened life expectancy.

Spinal Cord Injuries
A traumatic spinal cord injury will result in permanent neurological disability. The injuries can be incomplete or complete, depending on whether there is a partial or full tear of the cord. An incomplete spinal cord injury is a partial tear of the cord. The victim is a rendered a paraplegic with some feeling but little or no movement below the level of the tear. If the cord is completely torn, the victim is a quadriplegic with no sensory or motor function below the level of the injury. A victim’s life expectancy is also significantly shortened as a result of spinal cord injuries.

Spinal Fractures
The two leading causes of spinal fractures are motor vehicle crashes and falls. Men are about four times more likely to suffer spinal fractures than women. Fractures and dislocations of vertebrae can result in bone fragments impinging on the spinal cord. They might even penetrate it. Severe spinal fractures require surgery for purposes of bone realignment.

Maxillofacial Trauma
A wide range of injuries can result from maxillofacial trauma. Tissue injuries, like severe cuts and burns can disfigure a person for life. Maxillofacial trauma can also result in severe fractures of the jaw, nose, eye orbits and forehead. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of maxillofacial trauma injuries. Victims are often treated for traumatic brain injuries and maxillofacial trauma at the same time.

Dental Trauma
These injuries might be treated at a dental clinic if there are no indications of a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. They often involve chipped, fractured, loose or knocked out teeth accompanied by bone and tissue damage. Common causes of dental injuries include motor vehicle crashes, trip-and-falls and injuries from sports like hockey, football or baseball.

Crush injuries
Crush injuries can severely injure any limb. They might require amputation, rehabilitation, a prostheses, more rehabilitation and a new prostheses every few years. Doctors must also be aware of kidney failure and a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. When muscle is crushed, it releases particles of myoglobin into the body, and the myoglobin gets trapped inside of the kidneys. If the myoglobin isn’t flushed out, the crush injury victim is likely to die from kidney failure. If you or a loved one has experienced an amputation injury, or need more information from an amputation attorney, contact us today.

These are only a few examples of traumatic injuries. Some other types include but aren’t limited to:

• Acoustic (hearing) trauma
• A collapsed lung
• A myocardial contusion
• Electrocution
• Brain hemorrhage and subdural blood clots

Anything beyond a minor blunt force, penetrating or burn injury should be treated and cared for in an emergency room immediately, especially if it’s a head injury or bone break or bone fracture. The initial emergency room assessment is pivotal. It will be systematic, first consisting of check on any threats to the patient’s life. It then address more specific physical injuries. Diagnostic imaging like x-rays, CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging is often required. The traumatic injury will then be classified as being minor, moderate, serious, severe, critical or currently untreatable.

Contact an experienced Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or a family member suffered a debilitating traumatic injury through the negligence of somebody else anywhere in Pennsylvania, don’t give an opposing insurer a statement of any kind. It will only try to use it against you in the future. Talk to us first by phoning or emailing us to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. We’ll be pleased to listen to you carefully, and then we’ll answer your questions and provide you with your legal options. We’re established, esteemed and effective Pennsylvania traumatic injury lawyers that you’ll feel confident throughout your case with from its beginning through its conclusion. Be sure to contact us sooner rather than later. The sooner that we’re retained in your case, the more quickly we’ll be able to provide the professional level of involvement, compassion and advocacy that you deserve. If you or a loved one has burn injuries after an accident, contact our experienced burn injury lawyers.

Additional resources:

• Philadelphia Trauma Center Information