Car Accident Esophageal Rupture Lawsuits, Settlements and Lawyers in Illinois

Car Accidents Can Lead to Esophageal Ruptures

Car accidents are common causes of traumatic injuries in the United States. Statistically, everyone will be in more than one car crash throughout the course of their lives. The injuries caused by these crashes vary a great deal.

The esophagus is a tube that travels down a person’s neck and brings liquid and food from the mouth to the stomach. The neck is a somewhat vulnerable part of the human body, and since the esophagus exists within the neck, there is a risk of esophageal injuries occurring from traumatic accidents.

Injuries to a person’s esophagus can lead to a number of symptoms including reflux, dysphagia and unintentional weight loss. Reflux makes a person feel as though their food is traveling back up their esophagus after they eat. The symptoms often worsen if the individual lays down, especially if he or she has recently consumed food, or consumed foods with a highacid content, such as citrus fruits.

Dysphagia involves difficulty swallowing. People may feel that the food they swallow is becoming trapped in their esophagus. This might lead to them needing to take smaller bites of their food or to chew for longer periods of time.

Weight loss is a possible symptom because people may feel that they are so uncomfortable from eating that they would rather not eat much at all. This can cause a patient to become malnourished.

These injuries are caused by a person’s head snapping backward or forward. This can be the case if a person is rear-ended, or if the person is forced to brake abruptly to avoid an accident. People suffering these injuries may require surgery.