Car accidents are likely to leave both drivers and passengers with visible injuries. These injuries are sometimes as simple as minor cuts and bruises. Unfortunately, more threatening injuries like broken bones are also not off the table.
People involved in car accidents need to understand that they may sustain les obvious injuries that can lead to severe health complications down the road. Chest pains, a common symptom following a car accident, might be a telltale sign of an unknown injury. It is essential to identify this symptom as quickly as possible to make sure that you get the proper medical attention.
Chest Pains after a Car Accident
It is not uncommon for accident victims to feel pain in the chest area following a car accident. This type of local pain may result from a driver or passenger slamming against a door, dashboard, or another part of the car. It could also be the result of aggressive contact with safety devices like seat belts and airbags. Several injuries may explain the presence of chest pain after a car accident.
Muscle Strain
Muscle strains following a car crash can be especially painful when they affect the chest area muscles. The good news is these injuries are treated with painkillers and heal with just a few days of rest.
Bruised Ribs
Bruises to the sternum and ribs often occur when an accident causes a collision against the steering wheel or a forceful restriction from a seat belt. Bruised ribs are often associated with pain, discomfort, or tightening of the chest.
Rib Fractures
A bruise can be painful, but it is not the most severe injury to your ribs in a car crash. The pain you feel in your chest could indicate a rib fracture. This diagnosis is more likely, especially when a sharp pain in your chest is accompanied by unexplained shortness of breath.
Damaged Organs
You may want to know as soon as possible if the pain in your chest is the result of damage to one or more of your internal organs. Organs potentially affected by a car accident include the heart, kidneys, liver, and spleen. Injuries to these organs can quickly become life-threatening. Immediate medical attention is necessary.
Artery and Vein Ruptures
The veins and arteries that transport blood to your chest and torso could get damaged in a car accident. These injuries require prompt emergency medical care, too.
Heart Attack
Car accidents are traumatic events that may trigger heart attacks for accident victims, even if they are not at risk. These attacks can happen moments after the accident or at a later time. Accident victims often miss heart attack symptoms after a car accident because they mistakenly believe bruises or other minor injuries cause their chest pains.
What to Do about Chest Pain Following an Accident
Every individual involved in a car accident should seek medical attention regardless of the severity of the accident victim’s symptoms. It is easy to underestimate the seriousness of chest pain after a car accident. This underestimation happens in many cases because no immediate diagnosis is possible. But all physical distress can become a sign of a serious condition following an accident.
Finding Help
The chest pains you may feel after a car accident can be the first indicator that you have a long road to recovery ahead of you. You may need financial compensation to fuel your recovery efforts and support you if you miss too much time from work. A car accident lawyer in Las Vegas can prove helpful at recovering the compensation you are due from insurance companies and negligent parties.
Early in his journalism career, Kerry L. Tucker had a revelation: there were not enough experts reporting on law issues. Legal matters are part of daily life. Yet, there seems to be a general aversion towards them. One of the main reasons for this is that the convoluted legal language is difficult for many people to follow. Therefore, he decided to change how the law is perceived by the public. Throughout his career, he met with many people who shared their personal stories with him. Some of these hit him harder. One of the cases that stayed with him and influenced his future career development was a car accident case involving a child. From then on, he decided to zero in on car accident lawsuits.
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