The most common injuries sustained in a personal injury accident are cuts and bruises. These soft tissue injuries are called lacerations and contusions, respectively. While they are minor and heal relatively quickly, they can also be severe injuries and take months to heal when left untreated or if the affected person has an underlying medical condition.
In some unique instances, they never fully heal. If you or your loved one suffered injuries in an accident due to another party’s negligence or recklessness, a car accident lawyer in Atlanta can hold the liable parties accountable for their actions and help you fight for a favorable outcome.
Types of Car Accidents That Lead to Contusions and Lacerations
Contusions and lacerations can result from various motor vehicle accidents, often depending on the severity and dynamics of the collision. Reckless driving is frequently a cause of these accidents. An Atlanta personal injury lawyer can help you sue for related damages.
Here’s a list of common types of car accidents that could lead to such injuries:
Rear-end Collisions: When one vehicle hits the back of another, often leading to whiplash that can cause contusions due to the seat belt restraint, and lacerations from shattered glass or metal.
Head-On Collision: These occur when the fronts of two vehicles collide. The high impact can cause severe injuries, including contusions and lacerations from the steering wheel, dashboard, or broken windshield.
Side-impact Collisions (T-bones): These happen when the side of one vehicle is hit by the front or rear of another vehicle, often leading to contusions and lacerations from the side windows, doors, and debris.
Rollovers: When a vehicle flips over onto its side or roof, occupants can suffer contusions and lacerations from being tossed within the car or against windows and doors.
Single-vehicle Accidents: These involve only one vehicle that hits a stationary object, such as a tree or pole, or rolls over. The sudden stop or change in direction can cause contusions and lacerations from the vehicle’s interior surfaces or broken glass.
Multi-vehicle Pile-ups: In accidents involving several vehicles, the chaos and multiple points of impact can lead to a wide range of injuries, including contusions and lacerations from being hit multiple times from different angles.
Sideswipe Accidents: When the sides of two parallel vehicles touch and scrape against each other, it can cause minor to severe contusions and lacerations, especially if a window breaks or if there’s significant deformation of the car’s body.
Pedestrian Accidents: When a vehicle hits a pedestrian, the pedestrian can suffer from contusions and lacerations due to the impact with the car and the subsequent impact with the ground or other objects.
These injuries can vary widely in severity, depending on factors like the speed at the time of the accident, the use of seat belts, the presence of airbags, and the specific circumstances of the collision.
For a free legal consultation with a contusions and lacerations lawyer serving Atlanta, call (404) 888-8888
You Can Suffer Long-Lasting Effects After a Contusion
According to Healthline, contusions occur when a sharp blow causes damage to the skin and underlying tissues without breaking the skin. In simple terms, a contusion refers to bleeding under the skin. Typically, physical trauma causes it, such as falling, car accidents, and colliding with a large object.
During the trauma, blood leaks from the damaged vessels and forms around the surrounding tissues, causing discoloration underneath the skin.
- Symptoms
- Depending on the trauma and its severity, symptoms of contusions may include:
- Red, black, or blue marks on the site of the injury
- Swelling
- Difficulty moving the affected area
- Throbbing or aching
- Pain
- Weakness
You should photograph any contusions after a wreck to give this evidence to your lawyer. Be sure to take pictures of the bruises as they progress through the stages of healing.
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Risk Factors of Blunt Trauma After a Car Accident in Atlanta
Following blunt trauma to the chest, stomach, abdomen, and back, you should seek immediate medical attention, especially if you have a bleeding disorder or coagulation problems. A high-force-of-impact accident can cause severe contusions to the muscles, bones, and tissues under the skin, resulting in an internal organ not functioning properly. In that case, you may experience the following symptoms, which could indicate a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.
- Shock due to the swelling and internal bleeding
- Extensive tissue damage resulting in a fractured bone, dislocated joint, sprain, torn muscle, and many others
- Abdominal bruising
- Bruising behind the ear
- The feeling of liquid underneath the skin
Seeking medical care is a must if you suffer from any of these symptoms
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How to Treat Contusions After a Car Accident
In most cases, minor contusions only need time to heal. After seeking medical care, you may follow Healthline’s RICE method to help manage your symptoms.
- Rest: take the pressure off the affected area by resting it whenever possible.
- Ice: apply ice to the area to reduce swelling for a maximum of 20 minutes per session.
- Compress: lightly wrap the affected area in a bandage to reduce swelling.
- Elevate: raise the affected area above your heart to help drain the blood from the injured area.
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What are Lacerations?
A laceration is an open wound characterized by a deep cut or tear in the skin. It is usually the result of personal injury accidents or accidents involving machinery, knives, broken glass, and other sharp tools. Since lacerations involve deeper skin tears, they may cause significant bleeding. The severity of a laceration depends on its location, depth, foreign matter in the wound, the amount of blood loss, and the infection status of the cut.
Symptoms of Lacerations
Lacerations are apparent and may consist of the following additional symptoms:
- Mild to severe pain, depending on the injury
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Skin discoloration
- Difficulty in moving the affected area
As with contusions, you must seek medical care to diagnose and treat your injury properly.
Risk Factors Lacerations Pose to Your Health
The most concerning issue resulting from lacerations is the risk of infection. When this happens, you will experience numbness, intense pain, excessive bleeding, and tingling. Other signs that indicate your wound may be infected or is becoming infected include:
- Fluid or pus collecting in the wound or draining from the wound
- Foul odor
- Fever
- Worsening pain
- Wound not healing
- Lump in the armpit or groin
When left untreated or receiving late medical intervention, these infections can lead to further problems, including long-term pain, scarring, tendon damage, nerve damage, and penetration of veins and/or arteries. Infected lacerations can also result in conditions that include:
- Lockjaw, muscle contractions in the jaw and neck
- Loss of tissue
- Sepsis
- Cellulitis
When to See a Doctor
Although you can treat some minor lacerations at home, you should see a doctor immediately if you develop a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit or your wound has the following characteristics:
- It is deeper than half an inch
- It does not stop bleeding even with direct pressure
- Bleeds longer than 20 minutes at a time
Seeking Compensation for Your Lacerations and Contusions After an Atlanta Car Accident
Holding the at-fault party responsible for your injuries is a crucial step in your healing and recovery process. A personal injury attorney can help you by offering:
- Financial Relief: Hiring a lawyer can help ensure that the at-fault driver and all parties responsible for your injuries cover the medical bills associated with contusions and lacerations.
- Expert Representation: Bader Scott Injury Lawyers offers specialized legal representation, matching you with a lawyer experienced in Atlanta contusions and lacerations cases. Your lawyer will handle all communication with insurance adjusters and all parties involved in your case so you can focus on healing from your injuries. If the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement, your lawyer will file an accident lawsuit.
- Comprehensive Support: From the beginning to the end of your case, you’ll have professional guidance to navigate the complexities of litigation and help you seek the financial compensation you deserve.
- Rights Protection: Your lawyer will safeguard your rights throughout the legal process.
- Simplified Legal Process: Legal jargon and procedures will be broken down for you, making the process more understandable.
- Strategic Planning: You’ll receive a clear plan of action designed to enhance your case’s success.
- Compensation Advocacy: Your lawyer will actively fight for a fair settlement and the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries and recovery.
Contact an Atlanta Contusions and Lacerations Car Accident Lawyerat Bader Scott Injury Lawyers For Your Free Consultation
As a personal injury law firm, we believe that the at-fault parties must bear the consequences of their negligent and reckless actions. We dedicate our time to protecting and representing victims of personal injury accidents who suffer contusions and lacerations. Our track record speaks for itself.
If you or a loved one sustained cuts and bruises in an accident, we have an Atlanta auto accident attorney ready to defend your rights and fight for a favorable outcome. We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Contact us today for your free, no-risk consultation.
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