If you get compartment syndrome after an accident, go to the ER immediately, as the pressure could cut off circulation and cause permanent damage. Be sure to remove any tight coverings and keep the affected limbs at heart level.
Next, partner with a Las Vegas car accident lawyer to help you prepare and file an injury claim for fair compensation. At H&P Law, we are here to advocate for your best interests throughout the claims process.
You Need to Get to a Doctor After an Accident
You should always see a doctor after an accident. The shock of an accident causes an adrenaline surge. This surge could mask pain or other injury symptoms, including symptoms of compartment syndrome. Getting fast care gets you a diagnosis and treatment orders, and increases your chances of achieving maximum recovery.
Going to a doctor also provides you with key medical evidence in car accident cases. Your medical reports, notes from each visit, test results, images, and other related information can support your claim. Your medical team can also provide you with a prognosis. Serious injuries may require extended interventions and care and incur significant expenses.
H&P Law can use your medical information when calculating a demand for compensation. If you get compartment syndrome after an accident, we can fight to recover your related medical costs and account for your future care needs.
Why Prompt Diagnosis Is Critical for Cases of Compartment Syndrome
Layers of fascia separate groups of muscles. Muscle compartments are the confined spaces within each layer. The serious condition of Compartment Syndrome occurs when bleeding and swelling lead to “increased pressure in a muscle compartment.” This pressure causes problems with blood flow and can ultimately cause lack of oxygen and necrosis (death) of nerves or muscles.
Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) can result from a traumatic incident, such as a car accident. It could also be a secondary injury following a bone break, a bruised muscle or serious sprain, or from a cast or bandage wrapped too tightly. Compartment syndrome most commonly affects the lower leg and forearm, but can occur in the hands, feet, arms, and buttocks.
If you even suspect you have compartment syndrome after an accident, you should get to a doctor right away. An early compartment syndrome diagnosis is critical, as the condition is considered a surgical emergency. Once you’ve addressed your medical safety, connect with the team at H&P Law for legal help.
What You Should Do If You Get a Compartment Syndrome Diagnosis After an Accident
To diagnose compartment syndrome, medical professionals will ask you about your symptoms and pain. Often, ACS prevents victims from flexing or extending joints near the affected area. Your doctor may also perform a test by placing a needle into the affected area to measure the pressure in the compartment.
A positive diagnosis requires immediate surgery called a “fasciotomy.” The surgeon cuts the fascia to relieve pressure. Surgical delays can result in permanent damage. Knowing what to ask your doctor after an accident and following through on those orders affects your health and your injury claim.
You can recover from ACS if treated promptly. If not, you could experience permanent muscle and nerve damage. The other side can use delays in treatment to accuse you of worsening your condition and deny financial responsibility for the related losses. Act quickly to address your medical needs, and then reach out to H&P Law.
Get Legal Representation After an Accident
If you are hurt in a Nevada car accident, there are common mistakes to avoid. H&P Law can protect you from making those errors. One mistake is trusting the at-fault party’s insurance company. They may reach out to you with a fast initial offer. This offer is most likely far lower than your claim’s value, but insurance adjusters will try to convince you otherwise.
Insurance representatives may contact you with questions or requests for a statement. Refer them to us. Unfortunately, they can use what you say to undermine your claim. We will not fall into any of their potential traps. We can also help if your doctors do not properly diagnose you. Sometimes, compartment syndrome is the result of medical malpractice.
Your doctor could attribute your pain symptoms to the accident itself, failing to carry out needed diagnostic tests. Their failure to diagnose delays treatment and could lead to permanent injury. Practitioners could fail to monitor your pain after surgery or cast you too tightly. However, if you develop compartment syndrome after an accident, we can fight to hold the negligent party accountable.
Worst-Case Scenarios
If left undiagnosed or untreated, compartment syndrome can have devastating effects on your life. The resulting permanent injuries can greatly impair function in the affected area. In worst-case scenarios, muscle or nerve tissue could die, and the affected limb may need to be amputated.
Partner With Us to Fight for Damages After an Accident
H&P Law knows what damages are available in a Nevada car accident, and we can fight to secure the highest amount available. If you get compartment syndrome after an accident, we will value your losses in detail and demand economic and non-economic damages from the at-fault party.
Economic damages compensate you for financial losses resulting from your injury, such as medical costs, income loss, and other expenses. Your car or other property could have been damaged in the crash, and we can seek to recoup those losses as well.
Non-economic damages recognize your pain, emotional suffering, and diminished quality of life. Compartment syndrome can prevent you, at least temporarily, from engaging in activities and moving through daily life as you did prior to the accident. These losses should not go unacknowledged.
After an Accident, We Fight for Justice
H&P Law knows what to do if you get compartment syndrome after an accident. Once you’ve seen a doctor, make your next call to our experienced team.
At your free consultation, we can review your situation and make a plan for next steps. When someone else’s negligence causes you harm, you deserve justice. Our team is here to fight for it.
