After a motor vehicle accident, you or a loved one may suffer a heart attack and other injuries. So, can a car accident cause a heart attack? Yes, your chances of having a heart attack can increase after a car crash for several reasons.
It can be especially dangerous for you to have heart issues after a car accident because you may believe the pain in your chest relates to trauma in the crash instead of a heart event. Always report your symptoms to your doctor, so they can run the tests necessary to protect your health. Additionally, a potential heart attack can be part of your covered medical bills after the accident.
Why Heart Attacks Sometimes Happen After a Car Crash
Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine report that older adults had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke up to 180 days after an accident.
But why can a car accident cause a heart attack? There are a few potential causes related to increased emotional stress and physical injuries.
Trauma to the Chest
Blunt force trauma around the heart could cause myocardial contusion, according to a study in Trauma Monthly. Myocardial contusion is a bruise on the muscle of the heart. Something like a steering wheel striking your upper chest can cause this condition.
A myocardial contusion, also called a cardiac contusion, can involve a minor bruise that doesn’t really affect the victim’s heart. However, it can result in a major injury to the heart, leaving it unable to operate properly.
With a significant heart injury, you may have chest pain that results in a heart attack. You may need a few months to recover from a myocardial contusion, which could complicate your recovery from other injuries.
Formation of Blood Clots
After a car accident, you may suffer severe injuries in your legs or arms, leading to internal bleeding. This trauma could cause blood clots to form inside your body. Should the blood clot break loose from the area where it formed, it could travel through the bloodstream to an artery near the heart, blocking it. This blockage can lead to a heart attack.
The movement of the blood clot might not occur for days or weeks after the trauma you suffered. This means even though this type of heart attack is related to the crash, it may be tough for medical personnel to connect the two. Always be honest with your doctor about any symptoms after the crash, even weeks into your recovery.
Stress-Related Heart Attacks
Because of the emotional stress related to a car accident, the chances of suffering a heart attack can increase. The release of adrenaline or the body’s release of other proteins and hormones in the immediate aftermath of the crash can damage the heart muscles.
The victim doesn’t necessarily have to have physically visible injuries to suffer a stress-related heart attack after the crash, called takotsubo cardiomyopathy or TCM.
Things like adrenaline can mask pain, which means the victim may not even feel the pain related to the potential heart attack. Do not make one of the most common mistakes people make after a car crash and refuse medical treatment. Always have a doctor look you over after a crash.
Can I Seek a Monetary Settlement for a Heart Attack After a Car Accident?
After a car accident that was not your fault occurs, you can seek compensation from the driver who hit and injured you. Some items you could receive compensation for include:
- Medical expenses after the crash
- Medical bills for ongoing treatment (rehabilitation)
- Lost income during your recovery away from work
- Future lost income because lingering injuries mean you can’t work as you did before the crash
- Pain and suffering judgment
- Disfigurement or disability judgment
- Impaired quality of life
Where a Heart Attack Fits into Your Car Accident Compensation
Your legal representatives can include a request for an award related to your crash-induced heart attack in a few different areas.
- Medical costs: If you need medical care for a heart attack, we can try to seek compensation for these bills.
- Pain and suffering: Heart attacks can be quite painful and can leave you in a weakened state, which means we can request compensation for the heart attack as part of a fair settlement for pain and suffering.
- Lost income: If you must switch jobs or must work fewer hours while you recover from the heart attack, we can request the income you lost to be included in the settlement.
Why Seeking an Award for a Heart Attack Related to a Car Crash Can Be Challenging
An insurance company may not want to compensate you for an accident-related heart attack. It may try to say your heart event had nothing to do with the crash, especially if it occurred several weeks after the crash.
This is why it’s important to be honest with your doctors and our legal team about all your injuries and any new pain you experience after the crash. Having a record of pain related to chest trauma from the accident can make it easier for our law firm to show the connection between the crash and the heart attack, even if they happened weeks apart.
Contact Loncar Lyon Jenkins for a Free Consultation
You have the right to seek compensation if you suffered injuries in a car accident that was not your fault. If you had a heart attack (or another medical event) after a crash that you believe is related to the accident, you can also pursue an award for this portion of your injury. Our Dallas car accident lawyer can represent you and seek financial recovery while you focus on healing.
If you hire us to represent you, there is no financial risk. At Loncar Lyon Jenkins, we receive payment only if we win your case. Contact us today for a free consultation.
