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Stomach Injuries

Abdominal injuries after a car accident, fall, or another incident caused by negligence are common. If you suffered serious injuries because of someone else, you may have the right to file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit to recover your medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for your pain and suffering.

Call KNR today at 1-800-HURT-NOW to schedule a free consultation.

Types of Abdominal Injuries

You can suffer abdominal injuries through either penetrating or blunt trauma.

A penetrating stomach injury is one caused by an object that forces its way through and damages the skin, muscles, organs, other tissue, and bones. The initial injury is due to the puncturing of the body. The most common types of penetrating traumas are bullet wounds and stabbings.

Blunt trauma causes injuries associated with extreme force but not the penetration of the body with an object. While blunt trauma can tear the skin and underlying tissue, this is not the cause of the dominant injury.

Accident-Related Abdominal Injuries

Abdominal injuries are often very serious and include damage to the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, or intestines.

Liver Damage

The liver is one of the most vulnerable organs in your abdomen, and it can become lacerated, contused, or develop blood clots due to an accident. Since the liver has a large blood supply, it can cause extensive internal bleeding that requires emergency surgery to prevent death.

Spleen Injuries

On the other hand, the spleen is more likely to cause internal bleeding from abdominal trauma than the liver. A lacerated or ruptured spleen is life-threatening, and a lacerated spleen is relatively common when the left lower ribs are fractured.

Kidneys and Pancreas

The kidneys and pancreas can also suffer lacerations and contusions, and the severity of the damage to the organ will dictate whether surgery or other medical interventions are necessary.

Intestinal Injuries

The most common injury to the small intestine, also known as the bowel, is perforation. This can lead to infection, bowel obstruction, a fistula, or abscess. Surgery is necessary to correct bowel perforation.

You can also suffer injuries to your stomach, gallbladder, diaphragm, and bladder.

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Signs of Abdominal Injuries

If you are in an accident, the signs of an abdominal injury may not be apparent immediately. They may arise throughout the next few days. Symptoms of an abdominal injury include:

Pain and tenderness in the abdomen
Rigidity in the abdomen
Difficulty Breathing
Abdominal Bruising
Bowel or bladder control issues
Blood in stool or urine
Bloating
Nausea and vomiting
Fever

Abdominal Injuries & Pain After a Car Accident

While most people immediately think of broken bones and spinal cord damage after a car crash, abdominal injuries are also common in motor vehicle accidents. Stomach injuries after a car accident can happen for any number of reasons and manifest in various painful symptoms:

Seatbelt/Airbag Injuries

Even if they prevent a more significant or fatal injury, seatbelts and airbags routinely result in injuries to the chest and abdomen. The sudden impact of an airbag to your stomach can be incredibly painful and when not fitted properly, a seatbelt can result in lacerations or hernia.

Whiplash

Typically, described as a head and neck injury resulting from being jolted forward and to the side in a car accident, whiplash may also involve serious stomach and abdominal pain. This is most often caused by the impact of the collision pulling muscles, tendons, and cartilage away from structures like the rib cage or spine.

Blunt Force Trauma

This represents the physical harm done by a sudden blow to the abdomen. While minor trauma injuries are limited to bruises, damaged blood vessels, or constipation, more significant impact to the stomach can result in organ lacerations, organ compression, ruptures, and severe digestive issues.

Internal Bleeding

This refers to bleeding within the abdominal cavity and is a very common injury after a significant auto collision. Internal bleeding stems from organ damage and can be life-threatening. It is also not always easy to see or diagnose.

In some cases, you may see bruising around your naval or sides of the abdomen, but if you experience severe weakness, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, vision problem, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, or severe abdominal pain, seek medical attention right away.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Diarrhea and general stomach discomforts are not uncommon after a car accident. However, if symptoms persist or coincide with other digestive issues, it may indicate more serious intestinal damage.

Sepsis

Sepsis is a blood infection that spreads through your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. Following a car accident, if injuries go untreated, bacteria may enter the blood, eventually leading to sepsis.

Peritonitis

The tissue surrounding your abdomen is called the peritoneum. Peritonitis is a redness and swelling (inflammation) of that tissue. It usually occurs after a car accident when bacteria enter the lining from a tear in your GI tract. This can be a hole in your colon, a ruptured appendix, a lacerated stomach gallbladder, uterus, or bladder.

Abdominal Injuries Require Immediate Attention

Many abdominal injuries damage vital organs making them life-threatening. Immediate medical intervention is necessary to repair the damage, reduce the likelihood or repair secondary injuries, and reduce the chance of infection – a serious risk when the stomach or bowels are perforated.

If you suffered an abdominal injury, you could expect to spend a significant time in the hospital, undergo at least one major surgery, and require extensive care and treatment for a period or long term.

Ohio Abdominal Injury Lawyers Can Help

At Kisling, Nestico & Redick, we have worked with individuals to gain compensation after all types of accidents resulting in a full range of minor to catastrophic injuries.

Our team understands the devastating physical, emotional, and financial consequences an unexpected accident can have on your life. That is why KNR concentrates on guiding you through the insurance claim or personal injury suit process with compassion and skill. We know that you are relying on us to gain you the compensation you need to move forward in life. We will protect your rights and seek the maximum compensation possible.

To learn more about your right to recover compensation for an abdominal injury, call 1-800-HURT-NOW. We will schedule you a free initial consultation as soon as possible.

Ohio Abdominal Injury Lawyer