Lacerations from Car Accidents and California Case Value

Lacerations are common injuries that are often caused by car accidents, especially in those that involve head-on and broadside impacts, rollovers or crashing into stationary objects. As opposed to an abrasion, no skin is missing with a laceration. A laceration might be caused by hitting or getting hit by a sharp object like a piece of glass or metal, getting thrown around the inside of a car, or they might be caused by blunt force trauma like being ejected from a car and hitting a stationary object. The VU Center for Plastic and Hand Surgery describes a laceration as a type of injury where the skin is cut or punctured. Here are a few examples of some types of lacerations:

• Cuts that resemble tears that are caused by blunt trauma.
• Incision wounds that are caused by a sharp object like glass, a knife or a razor.
• Crush lacerations that cause splitting resulting from an extreme amount of force on a site.
• Grinding compression lacerations when the top layer of the skin peels, and connective tissue under the skin is crushed.
• Stretching lacerations when skin is stretched too far.
• Puncture wounds that are shaped like a circle that might be caused by a needle or nail. 

Repairing Lacerations:

Victims must be concerned about loss of blood with any serious laceration. In extreme cases, blood loss can be fatal. Victims should seek an emergency room or immediate care center examination and treatment for lacerations that cause excessive bleeding. They’ll simply go into shock if they lose too much blood. Open lacerations can be closed by use of stitches, staples, liquid glue used along with stitches, adhesive tape or sterile adhesive strips. According to UVA Health, some types of wounds that need professional medical care follow:

• When there is exposed muscle, fat, tendon or bone.

• If dirt or foreign matter remains in the wound, even after cleaning attempts.

• When it feels as if a foreign object is in the wound.

• When bleeding persists, even after 10-15 minutes of direct pressure.

• When the edges of the wound are jagged or otherwise not even.

• When a wound is deeper than 1/8 inch.

• If the wound is located over a joint.

• If it appears there might be significant scarring after the wound heals.

Laceration Repair Complications:

A variety of complications can arise after a person suffers a laceration. Here are a few of them that victims are confronted with:

• Scarring: Aside from blood loss, the prevention of scarring and disfigurement is an important consideration in treating laceration injuries. The more severe that a laceration might be, the higher the likelihood is that permanent scarring will result. Victims might want to discuss scar revision procedures with a cosmetic surgeon, but not all of such procedures are 100% successful. Some scars will even return over time.
• Infection: An open would is an open door for bacteria and other dangerous organisms or viruses to invade the tissue and blood and cause serious harm. That’s why cleaning and disinfecting a wound is so important in caring for it. You’ll want to eliminate the chance of septic shock that could lead to an amputation or even death.
• Osteomyelitis: This is a form of an infection that can develop in a bone. Victims of lacerations should see a doctor immediately if swelling, redness and redness develop around a wound and it feels as if it’s warm.
• Gangrene: This type of an infection can be caused by a loss of blood supply to an injured area of the body, especially, if it’s an arm or a leg. When tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients it dies.
• Wound Dehiscence: Winchester Hospital defines this condition as the separation of the edges of a wound. The wound simply splits open. Causes of dehiscence could be infection or stitches being too tight.
• Hematomas: These consist of collections of clotted blood that are usually found outside of blood vessels. Hematomas can spread to tissues and cause dehiscence and infection.

What’s the Value of a Laceration Case in California?

Many factors can influence the value of a laceration case, including the type and severity of the laceration, gender of the victim and whether there was any scarring. Here are a few examples:

• $21,000 in Washington on a one-inch dog bite that was closed up with six stitches. The victim also alleged regional pain syndrome.
• $19,000 in an auto accident when the claimant suffered hand lacerations and back and knee soft tissue injuries.
• $18,000 for 67-year-old female in a Miami sidewalk trip-and-fall. A lower eyelid laceration required stiches.
• $20,000 for a man’s forearm scar in Miami auto accident.

Contact a California Car Accident Lawyer

Laceration injuries in auto accident cases often involve more than one cut. Of course, the value of any laceration case can increase drastically when scarring results and a plastic surgeon becomes involved. If you suffered one or more lacerations in an auto accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, you’re likely eligible for compensation. Get to an emergency room right away for care and treatment, and after that, take photos of the lacerations. Then, contact our California car accident lawyer at Maison Law for a free consultation and case review. We take these types of cases on a contingency fee basis, so not a penny is required to retain us.