Severe Eye and Facial Trauma in an Auto Accident

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. For those who have experience operating motor vehicles of any kind, they understand that there is a risk of suffering an auto accident every time that they drive down the road. Just as accidents can vary widely in their scope and severity, the injuries that someone might experience vary as well, with some being worse than others. A team of medical professionals recently published a case report detailing a young adult who experienced significant facial trauma that resulted from an accident at high speeds.

In recent years, there has been an important push to reduce the rate of auto accidents on the road. While a significant amount of attention has been paid to drunk driving, and with good reason, speeding plays just as big of a role in the development of collisions on the roads. There are numerous factors that play into the posted speed limit, including:

The Presence of Pedestrians: If pedestrians are present, the speed limit is likely to be lower than it would be otherwise. This is because there could be people crossing the street who could be subject to pedestrian injuries if the cars are traveling at high speeds. People need to make sure to drive slow enough to react to unexpected pedestrians crossing the street.

Curves: Of course, the number of curves on the road is also going to play a role in the speed limit. Curvier roads are likely to have lower speed limits to ensure that people do not take these at high speeds. Driving around a curve too quickly can lead to a rollover accident, resulting in serious injuries.

Medians: If medians are present on the road, this helps to divide traffic moving in opposite directions. Without medians, oncoming traffic has the potential to drift into the opposite flow of traffic, leading to serious accidents.

A team of medical professionals has published a case report detailing an accident which occurred at high speeds. A 23-year-old young adult was traveling down the interstate when he lost control of his vehicle. His car left the road and collided with an object so quickly that the driver barely had time to press the brakes at all. Because of the speed of the accident, his face struck the steering wheel with impressive force, causing catastrophic damage to his maxillary bones. When emergency personnel arrived, they realized that he had shattered both of his optic cavities. The globe (eyeball) of both eyes was actually out of the socket, dangling against the skin below the optical cavities. He was quickly transported to the hospital, where further scans revealed that he had suffered multiple skull and facial fractures. There was also some mild swelling of the brain tissue noted; however, there wasn't any structural damage seen on the scans. Unfortunately, the patient also completely lost the ability to see. He was taken for surgical repair of his injuries and placed in the intensive care unit for a prolonged hospital stay.

Unfortunately, the patient developed a serious bacterial infection on the ninth day of his hospitalization. He was started on aggressive antibiotic treatment but passed away soon after starting therapy due to invasive infection throughout his face and brain. Ultimately, there are several lessons that can be learned from this case. Most notably, people should obey the posted speed limits on the road. The conditions of the road such as pedestrian presence, number of cars, and surrounding structure play a role in the decision to post a certain speed limit. By driving at high speeds, people sacrifice the ability to react appropriately to changing conditions. To ensure that people have enough time, they should always obey the posted speed limits.

When someone is involved in a serious accident which results in a wrongful death, there are a number of legal issues that could pop up. An experienced attorney can provide assistance with key issues, including

Potential Negligence: Someone who has died as a result of the negligence of someone else should receive justice, even after their passing. An attorney understands how to conduct a full investigation to review all of the facts and come to a just conclusion.

Life Insurance: When someone passes, they often have life insurance policies that are in place to provide assistance to their loved ones. Sometimes, insurance companies are reluctant to pay out these benefits. It might take a lawyer to convince them to honor their contract.

Going to Court: Not every case is straightforward and sometimes a trip to court might be necessary. In these situations, having a compassionate lawyer available can be of key assistance.

It is important to review all of the options before making any decisions. For legal assistance, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Sacramento who places the needs of the client ahead of their own.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith

My name is Ed Smith. I have worked as a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer for three decades.  If you've been injured in an accident, call me for free, friendly advice at 916.921.6400

I am fortunate to be a member of California's chapter of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This is a group of legal advisers which have been listed with many of the area's top personal injury attorneys. The members in this forum have reached settlements and won verdicts valued greater than $1 Million dollars.

Take a look at some of my verdicts and settlements here.

Take a look at client reviews here: Avvo, Yelp, and/or on Google.

Image Attribution: Version 3.0 of the CC BY SA has given permission to print the picture from the top, found first on Wikimedia Commons.

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