Even though modern cars, trucks and SUVs have hundreds of safety features, motor vehicle accidents remain a leading cause of injury in the U.S. In fact, as many as 4.4 million individuals suffer some type of bodily harm in car crashes on U.S. roadways annually.
While car accidents may cause a variety of catastrophic injuries, the risk to your health may not end when the collision does. In fact, you may develop a serious infection that causes additional health complications.
Accident-related infections
Car accidents are often traumatic events. During a crash, twisted metal may cut through your skin. As you heal, germs may enter the wound and cause an infection to develop. Likewise, if you suffer a traumatic brain injury that involves a cerebrospinal fluid leak, you may be vulnerable to meningitis or other potentially life-threatening brain infections.
Hospital-related infections
Injury symptoms may not show up immediately after a car accident. Consequently, it is always a good idea to go to the emergency room for a full medical evaluation. When you are in the hospital, though, you may acquire a hospital-related infection from the bacteria that are present in many facilities.
While your chances of developing a hospital-related infection likely depend on your age and overall health, you may be vulnerable to any of the following:
- Staph infections
- Surgical site infections
- Blood stream infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Pneumonia
Modern medicine gives doctors many options for treating both accident-related infections and hospital-related ones. Ultimately, though, because a serious infection is likely to complicate your recovery, you may need to pursue additional financial compensation from the driver who caused the accident.
