Organ Damage from Chattanooga Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can damage organs in several ways. The drivers and passengers in trucks, the occupants of cars and other types of vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycle riders can all suffer organ damage in any type of truck accident. Victims and families deserve full compensation for the unbearable pain that organ damage causes to survivors and families.

Blunt trauma resulting from truck accidents

The first way truck accidents can cause organ damage is through blunt trauma. Blunt trauma occurs when there is a forceful blow to an organ without penetrating the organ. Common types of blunt trauma that occur when a truck collides with another vehicle, rolls over, or jackknifes include striking the dashboard and sides of the truck or other vehicle, being ejected from the vehicle, striking the hard asphalt, and the force from airbags that are deployed.

The spleen and the liver are the organs most likely to be damaged due to blunt trauma.

Penetrating trauma from truck accidents

Truck accidents can cause penetrating injuries when an object such as broken glass from a windshield or broken metal breaks the skin and directly penetrates an organ.

What organs are most likely to suffer severe injury in a truck wreck?

The Cleveland Clinic identifies the following types of vital organs – organs you can’t live without. In the event of a truck Chattanooga truck accident, the most severe damage can be done to the:

• Your heart provides blood rich in oxygen to all your other organs. The risk that a truck accident victim can suffer a heart attack after a truck accident is high. Truck accidents may also puncture or tear the heart. Heart damage after a truck accident can cause blood clots in other parts of the body. If the heart shuts down, the victim will die.
• Your lungs deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues. They’re especially susceptible to being punctured in a truck accident. Lungs are essential to breathing. Respiratory failure due to a lung that is punctured or is due to blunt trauma can be fatal.
• Your brain explains to your other organs how to function. The brain is essential to every aspect of life. When the brain dies or is injured, the rest of your body’s organs will die or become injured too. Brain damage can cause traumatic brain injuries, which can cause immobility, cognitive impairments, and other types of permanent damage or death.
• Your liver filters toxins from the blood and performs many other necessary functions to sustain life. Truck accident victims with liver damage may require dialysis or the need for a liver transplant.
• Your kidneys enable you to urinate and keep your fluids and electrolytes in balance, Kidney failure can be fatal. At least one functioning kidney is necessary for survival.
• Small intestine. Your small intestine provides the nutrition your body needs for survival.

Other critical organs include the spleen, pancreas, colon, bladder, uterus, and stomach.

Organ damage to the spleen, liver, and other organs can cause the walls of the organ to tear, which can cause materials to leak. The leaked materials can cause sepsis and peritonitis, both of which can be life-changing or life-ending. Damaged spleens may take days to rupture, which is why emergency medical care is essential after a truck accident.

How do doctors diagnose organ damage?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the tests for organ damage vary depending on the type of organ damage. Common tests include:

• Echocardiograms for heart damage
• Kidney function tests
• Liver function tests
• Blood tests
• Brain scans and neurocognitive tests
• Pulmonary function tests
• Arterial blood gas tests
• Ultrasounds
• CT scans

What are the treatments for damaged organs?

The treatments for organ damage due to a truck accident also differ depending on which organ is damaged. Possible treatments include IV fluids, antibiotics, oxygen therapy, blood flow medications, IV nutrition, and dialysis.

Organ transplants, if possible, may be necessary. While organs may recover with medical help, many truck accident victims who have organ damage may suffer irreversible damage such as “fibrosis (scarring in your organs) or tissue death.

How do your Chattanooga truck accident lawyers fight for organ damage victims?

At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, our Chattanooga truck accident lawyers file the following types of claims if a collision damaged your organs or caused the death of a loved one:

• A personal injury claim. Our trial lawyers are skilled at showing how a truck accident occurred and who should be held responsible. We demand compensation for the victim’s medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages that may apply – for the rest of the victim’s life.
• A wrongful death claim. This is a personal injury claim where your loved one died in a truck accident. We demand compensation for the funeral and burial costs and the family’s full personal and financial damages due to the death of your loved one.
• A workers’ compensation claim. If an employee is injured in a truck accident, we seek temporary and permanent damages, including your medical bills and approximately 2/3 of your lost wages. If a loved one dies due to work, we seek workers’ compensation death benefits for the eligible family members.

At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand how devastating organ damage is for the victims who survive and families when a loved one dies due to organ damage. We are respected by former clients, insurance companies, and defense lawyers for our record of strong settlements and verdicts. Call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve Chattanooga and Cleveland, TN, North Georgia, and the surrounding areas.