Car crashes can result in numerous injuries, though the ones most often talked about tend to include injuries to the head, neck and back.
However, even more catastrophic injuries can happen to just about any driver. This includes the possibility of a crush injury.
Where do crush injuries happen?
Medline Plus looks at crush injuries due to car crashes. First of all, what are crush injuries? These happen in circumstances where a heavy or large object falls on, rolls over, pins or otherwise traps part of the body, or even the entirety of the body.
Many people associate these injuries with fields like construction or industrial manufacturing. While there is a high rate of such accidents there, they are not the only causing factors of crush injuries.
Car crashes are the most common source of crush injuries outside of dangerous job fields. Crash cages exist in order to stop the car from completely crumpling in on the people inside, but it cannot prevent the car from crumpling at all.
How car crashes cause crushes
This means it is possible for victims to end up with crush injuries of varying degrees, to various parts of the body. In particular, the hands, arms, legs and feet suffer from high susceptibility. This is due to the fact that it is common for the dashboard and footwells to crush in on a victim. Additionally, hands are small and can easily end up trapped and pinned between two objects in a crash.
Almost every crush injury results in serious damage. This means victims suffering from such a thing in a car crash should seek immediate medical attention.