Crush injuries are a serious kind of injury that can occur in traumatic incidents such as heavy machinery accidents and car crashes and result in severe complications such as kidney failure. Continue reading to learn more about crush injuries from Bronx crush accident lawyers Glenn and Robin Herman.

What Are Crush Injuries?

Crush injuries occur when a large force or pressure is exerted on a part of the body, most often when a body part is squeezed or pinned between two heavy objects, resulting in severe tissue damage. The severity of a crush injury depends on the amount of force involved, how much tissue is affected, as well as the length of time the body part was trapped between objects.

The term “crush injury” specifically describes the damage done to musculoskeletal tissues, but crush injuries are usually accompanied by other injuries, including:

• Bleeding and lacerations

• Bruising

• Broken or fractured bones

• Nerve damage

• Compartment syndrome (pressure buildup in adjacent body parts, leading to fluid buildup and limited bloody supply)

When crush injuries are left untreated, crush injuries can lead to severe complications, known as crush syndrome.

Crush Syndrome Side Effects

Crush syndrome is the result of an untreated, undiagnosed, or inadequately treated crush injury, and can also occur if a body part is trapped between objects for an extended period of time.

When musculoskeletal tissue is subjected to extreme damage, it breaks down rapidly, leading the damaged cells to release their contents into the rest of the body (which is known as rhabdomyolysis). This dangerous phenomena can cause severe medical complications:

• Hyperkalemia, which is when potassium levels in the blood are too high (due to the…