Car crashes can result in numerous injuries for victims. This includes strains, sprains, breaks, bruises, burns and worse.
Crush injuries are among the more severe injuries that a person could suffer in a car crash. But what are they?
Understanding crush injuries
Up To Date discusses the impact of crush injuries in car crashes. Crush injuries occur when any part of the body gets flattened, pinned, run over or otherwise pressed between two larger and/or heavier objects. For example, a person can suffer from a foot crush injury if someone runs over their foot. Someone else might suffer from fractured ribs and a crush injury in an earthquake if a bookshelf falls on them.
Car crashes are one of the more common sources of crush injuries. Victims can easily end up ejected from a vehicle, especially if they were not wearing a seat belt. They may end up pinned between their own car and the ground, or between two vehicles.
Crush injuries within a vehicle
Crush injuries can occur within the car itself, too. This is a particular risk for those in the front seats due to the fact that the engine block does not have a crash cage. This means the entire front of the car can get smashed in, causing crush injuries due to the collapsing leg wells.
Crush injuries can cause numerous serious complications like gangrene, necrosis of the skin, sepsis and organ failure. Death may follow swiftly in some situations, making these injuries a medical emergency in need of rapid and efficient medical care.