Can Car Accidents Cause Stomach Problems?

After a frightening event like a car accident, adrenaline rushing through your body and bloodstream increases your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as triggering energy in the muscles and eyes. When this happens, it is possible that you may not realize the pain you feel until days after the accident.

Delayed response injuries can be life-threatening due to the lack of necessary treatment and the progression of the illness. Although some pain like bruises and cuts are visible, internal abdominal injuries may be hidden. If you are experiencing discomfort in the abdomen, stomach, or digestive tracts, you could have organ damage which causes internal hemorrhaging.

If left untreated, organ damage can cause serious implications for your health and possibly become fatal.

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Does Your Stomach Hurt After A Car Accident?

Even car accidents that cause little damage or injury can still affect the victim’s body. The stress and anxiety that is increased after car accidents can leave you with an unsettling feeling in your stomach. However, there is a difference between unnerving stomach pain and chronic stomach pain.

Persistent stomach pain following a car crash is not something you should ignore. The Barnes Firm’s best car accident lawyers in New York City say the excessive force when two cars collide can cause your seat belt to dig into your abdominal region, tearing soft tissues, breaking blood vessels, and causing excessive swelling and bruising.

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person buckling seatbelt in car

How Can A Seat Belt Injure You?

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, New Yorkers are complying with seat belt laws. For the tenth year in a row, the compliance rate of drivers and front-seat passengers who are wearing seat belts is up to 94.2%.

Although seatbelts have been known to reduce fatalities and other serious injuries that are caused by accidents, there is also proof that seat belts can cause severe injury. The power that is exerted on the body due to the restriction of the seatbelt can generate a considerable amount of stress on the abdomen. This is acknowledged as The Seat Belt Syndrome.

Injuries that can occur from seat belt syndrome include:

  • Stomach pain
  • Obstruction of bowel movement
  • Bladder issues
  • Kidney pain
  • Inflamed colon

The most noticeable signs will be contusions and swelling of the abdomen area, but if you start to hurt beyond that, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Signs and Symptoms of Abdominal Pain and Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding can trigger severe abdominal pain, swelling, or internal injury. When major blood vessels and internal organs are torn or crushed, excessive blood will pool into the abdominal regions along with harmful gastrointestinal contents that are supposed to be eliminated.

This could be the root cause of some uncomfortable stomach or digestive problems. Over time, the longer this is left untreated, the more likely it is that the body will go into septic shock.

woman lying on couch clutching her stomach in pain
woman lying on couch clutching her stomach in pain

Signs and Symptoms of Abdominal Pain and Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding can trigger severe abdominal pain, swelling, or internal injury. When major blood vessels and internal organs are torn or crushed, excessive blood will pool into the abdominal regions along with harmful gastrointestinal contents that are supposed to be eliminated.

This could be the root cause of some uncomfortable stomach or digestive problems. Over time, the longer this is left untreated, the more likely it is that the body will go into septic shock.

Common signs of abdominal trauma include:

  • Bruising
  • Stomachache
  • Tenderness
  • Fever
  • Swelling
  • Blood in urine or stool
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

Symptoms of internal bleeding include:

  • Headache
  • Stiffness in neck
  • Confusion
  • Lightheadedness
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Blood in urine or stool
  • Hard to breathe

Our best car accident lawyers in New York say it’s critical to not wait and see if you are going to get better. See a doctor right away.

showing the front seats of a car that has been in an accident and the airbags have gone off

Causes of Shock After an Accident

When most people hear the word “shock,” they associate it with being startled, alarmed, or surprised. However, in medical cases, shock can lead to quick organ failure and result in death.

Your body can go into shock after a car accident injury because of heavy internal bleeding, broken bones, or spinal injuries. Therefore, when not enough blood is circling through your organs because the tissues were disturbed by the seat belt, your organs cannot function properly.

If you go into shock after a car accident, these are some symptoms you might notice:

  • Sweating
  • High pulse
  • Cold skin
  • Rapid breathing
  • Chest pain
  • Weakness or dizziness
  • Nausea or vomiting

If you have stomach problems and then any of these symptoms occur with it, you may have an internal stomach injury that has caused your body to go into shock.

Recover Compensation for Your Injuries with A Trusted Personal Injury Attorney

The most important thing you can do after a car accident is to seek medical attention and call a trusted personal injury attorney. At The Barnes Firm, we understand that you might panic about how to cover medical costs if you’ve been injured in a car accident.

If you were in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, call The Barnes Firm’s top car accident lawyers in NYC are here to assist you in filing a claim for all the damage you’ve endured. Our recognized lawyers have decades of experience helping injured parties recover compensation for their losses.

To schedule a free consultation and speak with a skilled car accident lawyer today, complete our contact form or call our office at any time.

The Barnes Firm (800) 800-0000

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