Internal injuries from a car accident are among the most dangerous because they may not be immediately obvious — while a broken bone announces itself, organ damage can develop silently over hours or days after a crash. If you were involved in a significant collision anywhere in Mobile County or Baldwin County, Alabama, and experience abdominal pain, dizziness, swelling, or a sense that something is wrong, seek emergency evaluation immediately. At Simmons Law, Chris Simmons handles internal injury cases and ensures the full scope of your damages — including emergency surgery and long-term complications — is captured in your claim.
Types of Internal Injuries in Alabama Car Accidents
Splenic laceration: the spleen is the most commonly injured abdominal organ in car crashes due to its location and fragile structure. Splenic injuries range from contusions to complete rupture requiring emergency splenectomy. Liver laceration: blunt trauma to the right upper abdomen can tear liver tissue, causing internal bleeding. Serious liver lacerations may require hepatic artery embolization or surgery. Kidney contusion or laceration: impact to the flank area can damage the kidneys, causing blood in the urine (hematuria). Pneumothorax (collapsed lung): rib fractures can puncture the pleural space, collapsing a lung — a medical emergency. Internal bleeding: damage to mesenteric vessels, the aorta, or the iliac arteries can cause rapid, life-threatening hemorrhage. Bowel injury: traumatic perforation of the small or large intestine can lead to peritonitis if not treated promptly.
The Danger of Delayed Presentation
Internal injuries are dangerous precisely because adrenaline and endorphins released during a crash can mask pain in the hours immediately after impact. A person may walk away from the scene feeling shaken but not in severe pain, only to develop signs of internal bleeding — worsening abdominal pain, tenderness, guarding, rapid heart rate, or dropping blood pressure — hours later. Delayed splenic rupture, for example, can occur hours to days after the initial injury as the splenic capsule gradually fails. If you were in a significant crash and did not go directly to the ER, and you later develop abdominal symptoms, call 911 or go to University of South Alabama Medical Center or Mobile Infirmary immediately. Document every symptom and every medical visit — this timeline is critical to your legal case.
Emergency Room Documentation at USA Medical Center
The University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile is the region's Level I trauma center — equipped to handle the most serious internal injuries with an activated trauma team, immediate CT imaging, interventional radiology, and full surgical capabilities. If internal injuries are suspected after your crash, USA Medical Center is the best destination in the Mobile area. The trauma team's evaluation, CT scan findings, surgical records, and discharge summaries become the core medical records in your legal claim. Preserve every document — discharge papers, follow-up appointment records, billing statements, and pharmacy records documenting medications.
Damages in an Internal Injury Case
Internal injury cases — particularly those involving emergency surgery, ICU stays, and lengthy recovery — produce some of the highest medical bills in personal injury claims. Recoverable damages include: all emergency medical expenses (trauma activation, CT imaging, ICU, surgery, anesthesia); all follow-up and outpatient care; lost wages during hospitalization and recovery; future medical expenses for complications, monitoring, or secondary procedures; pain and suffering for the physical trauma and fear of a life-threatening injury; and, in cases where a splenectomy (spleen removal) was required, future medical costs for lifelong vaccination protocols and infection risk management. If the internal injury caused long-term organ damage, future care costs can be substantial.
Alabama Law and Internal Injury Claims
Alabama Code § 6-2-38 provides two years from the date of the accident to file suit. If delayed presentation caused you to not immediately connect your symptoms to the crash, Simmons Law can help establish the causal timeline. Under Alabama's wrongful death statute (§ 6-5-410), if a crash victim dies from internal injuries, the personal representative of the estate may pursue a wrongful death claim. Alabama's collateral source rule ensures health insurance payments do not reduce the at-fault driver's liability for your medical bills.
Why Simmons Law for Your Internal Injury Case
Internal injury cases are medically complex and require attorneys who understand trauma surgery, ICU billing, and the long-term complications of organ damage. At Simmons Law, Chris Simmons personally handles internal injury cases and works with medical experts to ensure every current and future cost is captured. The firm represents clients throughout Mobile County and Baldwin County on contingency. Call (251) 306-8333 to speak directly with Chris Simmons.
