Crush injuries happen in any situation where a person’s body could end up pinned, run over or otherwise trapped by larger or heavier objects.
Thus, while most people associate these injuries with industrial jobs or work in construction, they can happen to anyone. This is especially true in situations involving vehicles.
Crush injuries to the limbs
Up To Date discusses the impact of crush injuries on victims. These injuries can have a catastrophic effect that may vary depending on the type of crush incident that occurs.
For example, crush injuries to the limbs and extremities can result in parts of the body losing blood flow, resulting in tissue and cell death. This can cause necrosis of the limbs and gangrene and may even result in sepsis in severe cases. This deadly blood infection can take a person’s life in less than three days after symptoms first show.
Torso crush injuries
As for crush injuries to the torso or trunk, these tend to overburden the organs and result in organ shutdown and failure. As other organs attempt to compensate for the loss of production from the damaged ones, they too begin to shut down and fail.
So how do crush injuries occur in cars? Simply put, vehicles can still crumple inward with enough force to the outside, even with safety measures like crash cages.
It is most common for drivers to suffer from crush injuries to the legs because the front of the car does not have any reinforcements. Hands and arms can also end up crushed due to their high level of mobility.