Were you involved in a car crash, slip and fall, or another accident that caused injuries to your esophagus? Alternatively, are you suffering from an esophageal rupture from being injured at your job? Many of us think of broken bones and head injuries when it comes to a car accident or fall incident, but there may be blunt force trauma that can cause damage to the esophagus.
A traumatic esophageal rupture is a medical emergency that must be treated right away. To safeguard your health and prevent further damage, please call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately if you were injured in an accident. Symptoms of an esophageal rupture include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting blood
- Fever
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Respiratory distress, particularly shortness of breath
Along with seeing a doctor, you should contact a lawyer to discuss your rights and legal options. Based on the details of your accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation if someone else is responsible for the damage to your esophagus or any other part of your body. In addition, you may be eligible for the value of any property that was lost or damaged in the accident, along with non-economic damages, like pain and suffering and emotional distress.
Whether you need a slip and fall lawyer or a car crash injury attorney, our legal team is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please contact us today and schedule a free evaluation.
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What is a Traumatic Esophageal Rupture?
Traumatic esophageal rupture is an injury where the esophageal wall is torn or ruptured. As a result, chemicals, food, and bacteria from your intestinal tract can enter your chest, bloodstream or lungs, causing life-threatening complications like infection and inflammation.
Thankfully, most people will never experience an esophageal rupture, but those who are in a car collision or fall down unexpectedly can have blunt trauma that causes damage to the esophagus. This type of trauma is commonly associated with car accidents, stab and gunshot wounds, and slip and fall / trip and fall incidents.
Medical care is essential with any of these accidents, as you are likely to have multiple injuries in addition to tears or perforations to the esophagus. If left untreated, an esophageal rupture can result in these health complications:
- Fluid build-up in the pleura, which is the membrane lining your chest cavity
- Pleurisy, or chemical inflammation of the pleura
- Medial emphysema, in which air is trapped in the spaces between the lungs
- Necrosis, i.e., tissue death from inflammation of the pleura or mediastinum
- Sepsis, leading to septic shock and organ failure
- Septicema – bacterial infection of the bloodstream
Who is Liable for my Injuries?
Your right to sue for a fall injury, car accident, or any other incident resulting in bodily harm is based on the concept of negligence, or a failure to take reasonable care. As an example, a store owner has a duty to keep their property clean and free of hazards. If someone is injured from a slip and fall at the store from a dangerous condition like water leaking from a pipe, the victim has a right to demand compensation for medical expenses and other monetary losses.
In the event of a car accident, you would have to establish that the other driver was speeding, ran a red light, was intoxicated, or engaged in some other behavior that caused an accident. Therefore, you sustained one or more injuries, including a perforation or rupture in the esophagus.
While it may seem straightforward, many cases involve complex details and circumstances that will need to be analyzed by an experienced attorney. An accident injury lawyer at our office can help you with every stage of the legal process, from gathering evidence to filing a lawsuit and negotiating the highest possible settlement.
Value of a Traumatic Esophageal Rupture Lawsuit
Lawsuits for esophageal injuries are usually settled for 6 to 7 figures, starting at around $250,000. The median settlement award is probably $650,000, with extreme cases resulting in verdicts of $1,500,000 and above. This is due to the fact that injuries to the esophagus have potentially fatal consequences, and even if the victim is treated right away, they are likely to have permanent health issues that compromise their quality of life. To ensure that you receive a fair amount of compensation based on the harm you suffered, please take some time to speak with one of our legal experts.
How Much Time Do I have to File a Lawsuit?
The deadline to file a traumatic esophageal rupture injury claim depends on whether you are filing a personal injury case or a workplace accident claim. For example, if you developed a rupture in your esophagus after a slip and fall in a shopping center, that would qualify as a personal injury lawsuit. If, on the other hand, you got hurt while performing a job-related task, you will need to file for workers’ compensation.
A personal injury claim must be filed in no less than 2 years from the incident date, except in rare circumstances that may qualify for an extension. However, most people will not be eligible for a lawsuit past the normal statute of limitations, so it’s essential that you take legal action immediately if you had an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence.
Now, if you got hurt at your place of employment or within the scope of employment, you have 2 deadlines to keep in mind. First, you are required to tell your employer about the injury within 30 days, though we advise that you do this immediately. Second, you must submit a claim for workers’ comp within 1 year of the accident date. You will receive the claims form from your employer, but you may have questions or concerns about your rights as the victim of a workplace accident. A California workers’ compensation at our office is available to help, so don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Lawyer that can Help You Sue for an Accident
Here at Normandie Law Firm, we understand the pressure you are under to keep up with your bills and other financial obligations while you are trying to recover from an accident. How to pay for an attorney is the last thing we want you to worry about, which is why we are happy to offer the Zero Fee Guarantee.
This is a policy where clients pay $0 in legal fees, which we ask for as a part of your settlement award. So, it’s the negligent party that covers the cost of representing you, and the only way we get paid is by winning your case. Essentially, you have nothing to lose by allowing us to fight for you and the compensation you deserve. If you suffered injuries to your esophagus after a car accident, slip and fall or any other incident, contact us to schedule a free case review.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Cost Of Filing A Car Accident Lawsuit
Kaiser Permanente Slip and Fall Attorney
Eataly Slip and Fall – Trip and Fall Accident Injury Lawyer
