Articles Posted in Blunt Trauma

seatelt injuriesSeat belts have been perhaps the most important innovation in motor vehicle safety since automobiles were invented. However, even though these devices can greatly improve motor vehicle safety, they can also result in seat belt injuries. Often this occurs when the seat belts are improperly used, but sometimes it happens even when they are used as intended.

Although the idea of a belt being used to secure a person for safety purposes had been around since the 19th century and had been in use in airplanes since shortly after they were invented, they did not begin to become commonplace in automobiles until the late 1940s and the 1950s when a few auto manufacturers began to offer them as optional equipment. They did not become mandatory equipment in passenger vehicles in the United States until 1968.

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I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer, and over the years, I’ve handled cases for hundreds of clients who sustained a fracture to the leg.  If you’ve never had a broken leg, you have no idea how difficult it is to get used to this injury and heal from it.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about that I’d like to share.

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There is little doubt based on safety studies that vehicle airbags offer protection against severe injuries in automobile collisions; that said, the deployment of airbags during a crash can also in and of itself cause injuries – albeit in a vast majority of cases, those injuries were classified as minor.  So while data reveals that airbag deployment can cause injuries – most often to the face, upper extremities and torso – those injuries should be considered in the context of the more serious injuries that the deployed airbag prevented.

Studies have found that the eye area is especially prone to airbag injury, moreso if the party wears glasses.  Such injuries include retinal detachment, lens ruptures and orbital fractures.  Also, when the airbag deploys it releases chemicals which can be injurious to the eyes.  Children seated in front are at risk of eye injuries due to height/position.  However vulnerable the eye/face area appears to airbag injuries, studies have consistently shown that airbag deployment reduces the risk of skull fractures.

A blunt spleen injury is one of the most commonly injured organs after an auto accident. It’s caused by a forceful blow to the abdomen.

The spleen is the organ that filters poorly functioning or damaged red blood cells. It also removes bacteria from the body and produces antibodies.

What are the Different Levels of Trauma Centers?

What are the Different Levels of Trauma Centers?

As a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer, over the years I’ve been asked what the difference is between the different types of trauma centers. There are different levels of trauma centers: Level I, II, III, IV, and V. These refer to the types and kinds of resources available at the facility and the number of trauma patients admitted each year. The categorization is different for adult and pediatric facilities. Category requirements are different from state to state and are outlined by legislation. Verification of a trauma center’s level is set through the American College of Surgeons and is designed to improve overall trauma care. Verification lasts for three years and then is reevaluated.

A study was done looking at two vehicle collisions that included a passenger car and a light truck, defined as a minivan, van, pickup truck or SUV). They looked at the likelihood of having a fatality, a hospitalization, and the hospitalization charges, looking at vehicle type to see if there was any difference between passenger vehicles and light trucks.

They used data from Minnesota’s Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System or CODES between the years 2004 and 2005. They looked specifically for crash data involving a car and a light truck; only police-reported accidents were used. They were curious about defining a model that predicted the rate of hospitalization depending on various variables. They also did a model of the likelihood of a fatality. In all models, they made a distinction between the two types of vehicles and controlled for factors like occupant, vehicle and crash characteristics. There were separate models for drivers and passengers.

There have been more motorcyclists on the road in many countries over the last few decades. This has led to an increase in severe collisions and rider morbidity and mortality. There have been improvements in helmet technologies and better helmet wearing strategies that have reduced the incidence of serious injuries to the head. Now, chest trauma is surpassing head injuries and is the most serious injury seen in motorcyclists. Unfortunately, few changes have been made to change the situation when it comes to chest injuries.

A new study has looked at finding the needed information to help reduce the incidence of thoracic trauma to motorcyclists. In addition, the article looked at helping motorcycle advocates and road officials to develop ideas and put them in motion so that motorcyclists can be safer. Police and hospital data were compiled. The study looked at nearly 20,000 hospital records on motorcycles and looked at all of the particulars of the incidents. It was found that the incidence of severe chest trauma has more than doubled in the past 2 decades and they comprise 3.2 percent of all registered vehicles. One fourth of all serious chest trauma cases in the hospital have come from motorcyclists. There was an even mixture between fixed object crashes and non-collision crashes. More older riders suffered from chest trauma when compared to younger drivers.

In car accidents, there can be many cases of blunt abdominal trauma. One study looked at an isolated jejunal tear in a 24 year old male trucker who exhibited abdominal pain after sustaining blunt abdominal trauma after hitting the steering wheel in an accident. The treating abdphysician missed the isolated jejunal tear and a nearby contusion and secondary tear so conservative care was recommended. He gradually deteriorated and died from his injury. The autopsy showed the jejunal tear in the small bowel with secondary peritonitis. An exploratory laparotomy and special x-rays would have uncovered the problem and he would likely have survived his injuries.

Another study looked at the pattern of small bowel mesenteric injuries caused by contact with the steering wheel during a motor vehicle. They recognized that small gut mesenteric injuries were rare after blunt abdominal trauma from steering wheels. The researchers did a 10 year retrospective study on these types of injury. They found that all such injuries occurred in males with 13 jejunal mesenteric injuries and four ileal mesenteric injuries.

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A JAMA study published in January concluded that people who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI) were more likely to experience a premature death, which is defined as dying before 56 years of age.

The researchers followed everyone born in 1954 and later in Sweden who had been treated medically (outpatient or inpatient) for TBI between 1969 and 2009.  The total number of people who followed under these criteria was 218,300.  The researchers looked at death rates at least six months after the brain injury and compared them with the general population.  The study also considered the death rates of siblings of people within the study.

The number of trucking accidents has increased significantly over the last two decades. Federal laws and regulations govern the trucking industry. These laws establish standards that trucking companies, owners, and drivers must meet, and often determine who is responsible for a trucking accident. More info can be found here.

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When it comes to trucking accidents there are a host of players who may be responsible for a victims injuries and damages including the following:

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