Lacerations: Causes

A laceration, according to the U.S. Library of Medicine, is a wound that tears body tissue. Lacerations are usually jagged and irregular, and are cause for serious concern of infection. Generally, the larger the wound or the more numerous the wounds, the higher the chances are of infection. The most common cause of a serious laceration wound due to a car collision is glass. Despite windows being made of safety glass, deep and serious lacerations are still common. Safety glass, which automakers began using back in the 1920s, is created by placing a thin sheet of plastic between two glass plates. Tempered glass on the other hand, which makes up the rear and side windows, is created by heating the glass to a high temperature. It is designed to break into small pieces and limit larger jagged pieces of glass from causing wounds. However, tempered glass, though the shards are small, is razor sharp when broken and can easily cause devastating wounds. Other causes of lacerations include any metal or hard plastic interior of the car. While only 3.7 percent of traffic collision emergency department leading diagnoses were open wounds, such as lacerations, this is still a statistically significant number, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why? To be sure, laceration injuries, when they are the primary cause of injury, are particularly life-threatening and long-lasting.

Complications of Laceration Wounds

As stated previously, laceration wounds are subject to infection if not immediately irrigated and treated by a medical expert. However, the first step in treating a laceration is to stop the bleeding. Depending on where the injury occurred, a relatively small laceration can cause life-threatening loss of blood. If the femoral artery or jugular are severed, for example, rapid blood loss can make a person go unconscious and then die within mere minutes. If the brain goes without blood, which carries life-giving oxygen, for an extended period of time, brain damage can occur. Other laceration complications include:

• Severe scarring;
• Disfigurement;
• Necrosis of tissue;
• Gangrene;
• Cellulitis, which is a skin infection;
• Loss of a limb or digit due to infection;
• Nerve damage;
• Paralysis;
• Blindness if the injury is to the eyes; and
• Chronic pain.

For victims who suffer serious scarring, disfigurement, or loss of limbs, serious depression and anxiety is common, as is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But however serious your laceration wounds, there is hope. By enlisting our help, you can help provide yourself and your family with the financial resources to ensure your future. Whether that means that you are in a more stable economic place than you were before the crash, or that you will have the ability to pay your medical bills and the future medical costs and potential surgeries, a personal injury lawsuit or settlement can help to provide that.

We Care Deeply About Our Clients

While you recover from your injuries, our attorneys will walk you through every step of the legal process. We can limit your exposure to the progress of your case, or fill you in as soon as breakthroughs are made. Every client is different, and we ensure that we treat each client with tailor-made service. Whether the steady inflow of medical bills is too much for you to handle while you recover from your injuries or if you only want to have monthly updates, we can provide the assistance to meet your wishes. We are here to serve you and ensure that you are set up for a successful financial future following this horrible incident.

Contact a Laceration Accident Attorney in Salt Lake City Today

The compassionate Salt Lake laceration accident attorneys of Christensen & Hymas are here to help you recover the finances needed to get your life back on track. Call us today for help.