Internal Bleeding Injuries After an Accident

After you have been involved in a serious accident, you should always seek medical treatment because you may have suffered internal bleeding. You may not realize it because the symptoms of internal bleeding don’t always appear immediately. Just about any kind of trauma, such as the trauma that can result from a car accident, can lead to internal bleeding.

Signs and Symptoms of Internal Bleeding

Symptoms of internal bleeding could be dramatic or gradual and include the following:

• Shock – if you are bleeding heavily, your pulse will increase, your blood pressure will drop and your skin will become cool and clammy.
• Orthostatic hypotension – you will become dizzy when you move from a sitting position to a standing position.
• Pain – the area affected will become inflamed.
• Bruising – as blood moves toward your skin’s surface, it will appear as bruising.
• Visible blood – you might notice blood leaking from an orifice such as your ears or mouth.

Internal bleeding can have a dangerous impact on some organs, such as the brain or the eyes:

• Brain – even the slightest amount of bleeding could cause vomiting, coma, lethargy, seizure or unconsciousness. You might experience the signs of a stroke: weakness on one side of your body and slurred speech.
• Eyes – you could experience blindness, hazy vision or floating objects in your field of vision.

Treatment for Internal Bleeding

Immediate treatment for internal bleeding includes the ABCs of resuscitation:

• Airway – keeping your airway open.
• Breathing – monitoring your breathing.
• Circulation – maintaining your pulse and blood pressure.

Additional treatment would be tailored to the body part that is affected and the patient’s stability. The ultimate goal is to stop the bleeding and repair any damage.

In some cases, surgery might be required, such as when:

• blood clots press against the brain;
• the internal bleeding is in the abdomen;
• prominent blood vessels rupture; or
• fractures must be repaired.

Internal bleeding after a serious accident can lead to costly medical expenses and time off from work. We can explain your legal optionsfor recovering compensation for your accident expenses.