Crush Injury Claims

Crush Injury Claims, Lawsuits and Lawyers

Crushing-type injuries are devastating to the victim. Minor crush injuries (like slamming a hand or finger in the car door) are painful and can result in the temporary loss of use of the body part, but major crush injuries may result in the complete loss of the affected body part. Amputation may become necessary following a crush injury. A crush injury sustained to a vital part of the body (such as the chest, abdomen, or head) can easily be fatal. The vast majority of crush injuries are easily avoidable so long as individuals exercise reasonable care and caution. Unfortunately, crush injuries occur because not everyone takes this responsibility to act in a reasonably careful manner seriously.

Top Causes of Crush Injuries

Although crush-type injuries may not be as common as other types of injuries like burns and broken bones, they can be just as painful and debilitating. Some of the most common causes of crushing injuries are:

• Heavy machinery: Whenever an item of machinery has moving parts (whether it is a large bulldozer or a small, more manageable machine like a lathe or trash compactor), crushing injuries can easily result if a body part becomes caught between two or more moving parts. To help reduce the chance of these injuries happening, it is recommended that companies enact and teach their employees about “lock-out/tag-out” procedures that are designed to prevent machinery from suddenly starting while a person is working on or servicing the machine.
• Car accidents and motorcycle accidents: Shattering glass and “road rash” are commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents, but crushing injuries can also occur if the person’s body or a part thereof becomes trapped between the vehicle and the road or caught between two parts of a single vehicle. For instance, in a head-on collision the front part of a car may become crumbled and crush the victim’s legs between the floorboard of the car and the dash assembly.
• Animal bites or attacks: A vicious dog’s powerful jaws can inflict crushing injuries to hands and fingers. These crushing injuries can shatter bones and result in the loss of use of the hand for a considerable amount of time while the bone heals. Alternatively, crushing injuries can be inflicted if a heavy dog breed jumps and pins a victim beneath it.
• Falling objects: Finally, crushing injuries can result from heavy objects falling on top of a victim. This can occur, for example, when a person is shopping (especially in a warehouse-type store) and an improperly-stored box or item falls and pins the victim. Or the victim may be attempting to move a heavy object (like a vending machine or refrigerator) and the item can topple over on top of the victim.

When the victim’s chest or abdomen are subject to crushing forces, organs can be damaged or destroyed and/or the victim may experience a spinal cord injury.

Aside from very minor crush injuries (such as slamming one’s hand in a door), crush injury victims need emergency medical treatment as soon as possible. Profuse bleeding and/or other life-threatening complications can easily accompany crushing injuries, and prompt treatment is essential to preserving the victim’s life.

Elements of a Crush Injury Lawsuit

An injury victim who believes his or her crush injury and resulting medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages are all the result of another person’s negligence or reckless behavior, a crush injury lawsuit may be filed and compensation pursued against this individual. To prevail, the victim will need to show:

• The allegedly at-fault party behaved or acted in a way that no reasonable person in a similar situation would have done. For example, a store employee who ignores company policy and improperly places a heavy item on a high shelf where it can fall and injure a customer, as well as an employer who does not teach his or her employees about lock-out/tag-out procedures both act in ways that can be considered unreasonable and negligent.
• The at-fault party’s negligent behavior caused or contributed to the victim’s crushing injury. Depending on the state in which the injury occurs and/or the lawsuit is filed, the victim may be able to recover compensation even if the victim or another party is also partly to blame for the injury’s occurrence.

Stern Law, PLLC knows the elements crush injury victims need to prove in order to win their personal injury lawsuits. Attorney Ken Stern appreciates that crush injury victims often suffer significant mental and physical pain, loss of enjoyment of life, and other noneconomic losses in addition to medical expenses and lost wages. That is why he is committed to helping his clients recover full and fair compensation for all of their losses. Contact Stern Law, PLLC at (844) 808-7529 to discuss your crush injury accident and learn how the assistance of Stern Law, PLLC can help you take the first steps toward recovery.