Internal injuries are the crash injuries that kill quietly — organ damage and internal bleeding behind a body that ‘looks fine.’ The medical message is urgency; the legal message is that delayed-onset seriousness is exactly why early releases are dangerous.
The Medical Picture
- The usual suspects: spleen and liver lacerations, kidney injury, bowel damage, internal bleeding, and pneumothorax — MedlinePlus covers the emergencies.
- The red flags: abdominal pain or rigidity, dizziness, deep bruising (seatbelt sign), shortness of breath — symptoms that warrant the ER, not watchful waiting.
- The mechanism: blunt force and deceleration — the seatbelt that saved your life can bruise what it restrained; that’s a trade worth making and a symptom worth checking.
What It Means for Your Claim
Get evaluated after any significant crash even feeling ‘fine’ — medically because bleeding hides, legally because the exam timestamps causation. Surgical internal injuries carry substantial claims (organ loss, adhesion futures) that run through our catastrophic framework when severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
My symptoms appeared days after the crash. Does that hurt my claim?
It’s medically common and legally manageable — document promptly once symptoms appear and treat consistently. The mistake is toughing it out; treatment gaps become the defense’s favorite exhibit.
The ER cleared me but pain started the next day. What now?
Go back — evolving internal symptoms are a return-trip standard, not an overreaction. The second visit protects your body first and your record second.
Does this injury count as ‘serious’ under my limited tort policy?
It depends on impairment of function, not the diagnosis label — a fought-over standard worth professional analysis, never an adjuster’s checkbox. Our limited tort explainer covers the stakes.
Dealing with this injury after a crash someone else caused? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online — free, confidential consultations, contingency-fee representation.