A crash-related torn aorta is a medical emergency

On Behalf of | Feb 12, 2021 | Catastrophic Injuries

If a semitruck collides with your vehicle, there is a good chance you may sustain a serious injury. After all, tractor-trailers outweigh regular vehicles by as much as 76,000 pounds. While broken bones, whiplash and lacerations are common crash-related injuries, organ damage may put your life in danger.

Your heart pumps blood throughout your body. If a collision with a semitruck causes your torso to push against your seatbelt, steering wheel, airbag, windshield or anything else, you may be vulnerable to an aortic tear during the crash.

Heart damage

The aorta is a large blood vessel that attaches to your heart. In high-impact trucking accidents, your aorta may tear. If this happens, your heart is likely to continue to pump blood. In just a few minutes, the sack that encases your heart may fill with blood, putting extreme pressure on your heart. Regrettably, if you do not receive immediate medical care, an aortal tear is likely to be fatal.

Medical care

Your heart does not have pain receptors. Consequently, you may not realize you have a torn aorta until it is too late for doctors to save your life. Therefore, any time you collide with a semitruck, it is a good idea to ask a doctor to examine you.

Going to the emergency room may be your best bet. Not only do doctors there have the experience and equipment to diagnose and treat trauma, but you can also create a contemporaneous record of your injuries.

Ultimately, if there is even a slight possibility you may have suffered a torn aorta or any other type of organ damage, you must treat the moments after the collision with a semitruck as a life-or-death medical emergency.

 

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