Crush injuries can occur anywhere at any time, in just about any occupation or situation that involves heavy objects or machinery.
This includes car crashes. In fact, for those who do not work in construction or related industries, it is the most likely way they will run into the potential for a crush injury incident.
Common car crash crush injuries
Up To Date discusses the impact of crush injuries on individuals involved in car crashes. Crush injuries can occur at any time, especially in crashes that cause parts of the car to cave inward.
A crush injury involves heavy pressure applied to an area of the body over a period of time. Examples include a truck running over a worker’s foot, or someone getting buried under the rubble of a collapsed structure.
In car crashes, crush injuries often happen when part of the car crumples in and traps the person’s limbs or body parts beneath their weight. For example, crush injuries to the legs are somewhat common because the front of the car can cave in, trapping legs beneath the dashboard.
Hand crush injuries also happen often, especially if the dashboard and steering wheel end up involved. Sometimes, a victim’s entire body can also end up pinned, depending on how badly the car itself ends up crushed.
Getting pinned outside of the car
It is also possible for crush injuries to happen when victims get pinned between vehicles, or thrown from a vehicle and pinned between that and the ground or another hard surface. This comes along with the same consequences as mentioned above and should also receive immediate medical care.
