What Is A Crush Injury?
Crush injuries, where the body (or parts of the body) are crushed by an object or between surfaces, can be severe, life-changing or fatal. Crushing injuries can affect your ability to earn and significantly reduce your quality of life. When crush injuries occur as a result of negligence or a defective product, getting the financial compensation you deserve can help ease your burdens and allow you to focus on what really matters: recovering your health and putting your life back together.
A crush injury is medically defined as an injury where force or pressure is put on a body part, most often occurring when part of your body is squeezed between two heavy objects.
Some of the common causes of crush injuries are:
- Large machine injuries: Construction sites, farms, road work, and many other activities use heavy equipment that can easily crush a human body. Bobcats, steam rollers, forklifts and more all require careful operation as they are some of the most common causes of severe crush injuries.
- Falling objects: In any downtown or metropolitan area you will find many people above you – in skyscrapers, apartment buildings and large offices. While there are safety codes and laws to prevent it, crushing injuries often happen from construction or cleaning work being performed above your head.
- Auto accidents: As a driver, passenger or pedestrian, you are at risk of a crush injury when you are around vehicles. One of the most common causes of severe crushing injuries is auto accidents.
- Defective products: Sometimes, a product used in the construction of something is defective, resulting in a structural collapse that pins someone or crushes them. In such a case, you are very likely eligible for compensation.
- Natural disasters: Natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.) often cause crush injuries to countless people around them.
- Construction accidents: Because construction inherently involves the moving and constructing of large structures, the risk of crushing injury is severe. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has established countless guidelines to reduce the possibility of injury, but a simple mistake on a job site can result in a lifetime of pain, disabilities or even death.
Washington Crush Injury Case Results
- $1,200,000 recovery for a woman who suffered a crushed heal and fractured ankle in a motor vehicle accident in Snohomish County.
The Effects Of Crush Injuries
While each crush injury is different and the injuries vary in severity, some of the common complications and results of crush injuries are:
- Compartment syndrome (increased pressure in a body part that results in muscle, nerve, and tissue damage)
- Bone fractures
- Nerve injuries
- Brain damage
- Bleeding (internally and externally)
- Cuts
- Infections
- Bruising
- Destroyed limbs, digits, and body parts
- Death
Crush injuries require immediate medical attention, as the severity of your injury may not be immediately visible – internal damage may have occurred that you don’t notice right away.
What Is My Case Worth?
While each case is unique, if you or a loved one are victims of a crush injury due to negligence, carelessness or a defective product you may be eligible for compensation for:
- Current medical costs
- Long-term and future medical costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of quality of life
- Disability damages
- Vehicle and home alterations
- Wrongful death
- Loss of consortium (if the injury results in the death of a loved one)
Our first step in a personal injury case is to do a thorough analysis of your injury and determine the maximum compensation possible in your case, based on the facts.
Why You Need A Lawyer
Insurance companies are professionally trained to limit payouts, and when you go up against insurance companies alone, you are at risk of getting little to no compensation. Without an attorney, a representative from the insurance company will likely offer you a settlement of far less than you may be entitled to and pressure you to take it. Not knowing what your case is worth, you may be tempted to take the settlement and lose a large percentage of what could have been recovered with our help.
Why Choose Us?
At Pendergast Law, we have obtained millions of dollars in compensation for our clients, and we take our personal injury cases with a no-fee promise – which means that you don’t owe us legal fees unless we win your case. Because of our prestige and experience winning cases for our clients, insurance companies know better than to try to shortchange our clients with low settlements. We settle 90% of cases out of court, but we have the resources and experience to take your case to civil court when needed.
Our managing partner J.P. Pendergast has been focused exclusively on personal injury law for over 20 years and has been named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the U.S., among countless other awards and accolades for success in helping his clients. With millions of dollars recovered for our clients, you can be confident that we will pursue the maximum compensation you deserve and fight relentlessly to get it. Call our Seattle personal injury attorneys today at 888-539-9211 to schedule a free consultation!