An organ is a self-contained body part that performs a specific vital function. By definition, then, damage to your liver, your largest internal organ, will likely involve significant, long-lasting effects. This is especially true in the case of an accident, which generally involves a violent major injury. This guide details the specific risks of damaging your liver in an accident.
Why the Liver Is Important
Nestled beneath the ribcage on the right side of the abdomen, the liver plays many pivotal roles in maintaining our overall health. It stands as the body’s chief chemical factory, orchestrating the biochemical processes that are essential for human well-being. These include:
Detoxification and Blood Filtration
The liver filters blood that comes directly from the digestive tract before that blood courses through the rest of the body. In this process, harmful substances and toxins absorbed from the digestive system are neutralized, rendering them harmless. This function is not only crucial to remove harmful elements from our bloodstream but also vital to keep the body’s internal environment balanced.
Bile Production and Digestion
The liver is instrumental in the digestion of food. It produces bile, a greenish-yellow fluid stored in the gallbladder, which is released into the small intestine during meals. Bile aids in the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Without bile, the process of breaking down fats and absorbing vital nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K would be significantly impaired.
Storage of Nutrients
The liver also stores essential nutrients such as glucose, the body’s primary source of energy, in the form of glycogen. When the body requires energy, the liver dutifully releases glucose into the bloodstream, providing a steady supply of energy to the various tissues and organs. This process maintains stable blood sugar levels.
Metabolism of Drugs and Hormones
The liver metabolizes drugs, medications, and hormones, regulating their levels in the bloodstream. The liver ensures that substances introduced into the body are broken down and processed efficiently, preventing harmful accumulations and maintaining homeostasis.
Blood Clotting
Blood clotting is essential for injury healing. The liver synthesizes proteins needed for this process. Without these proteins, even minor injuries could lead to excessive bleeding.
Risks of Liver Damage After an Accident
In the aftermath of a vehicular collision or other serious accident, the risks associated with liver trauma could potentially alter the course of an individual’s life. These are the main risks:
Blunt Force Trauma. One of the primary reasons for liver damage in accidents is blunt force trauma. Due to the liver’s location in the upper right side of the abdomen, it is particularly susceptible to personal injury when a person experiences a strong impact. Whether it’s a car crash, a fall, or any incident causing significant blunt force, the liver can be bruised, lacerated, or even ruptured.
Delayed Symptoms and Underlying Complications. Liver injuries, especially those sustained during accidents, might not manifest immediate, obvious symptoms. This delayed onset of symptoms can be deceptive, as internal bleeding or liver damage might not be apparent in the immediate aftermath of the accident. Often, if you’re involved in an accident, you may overlook seemingly minor symptoms, assuming them to be temporary. However, complications can escalate rapidly. Any indication of these symptoms, no matter how insignificant they might seem, warrants immediate medical evaluation.
Psychological Impact. Liver damage can also trigger psychological trauma. Survivors often grapple with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Coping with the physical aftermath, potential disability, and the financial strain of medical bills can severely impact a person’s mental well-being. Seeking therapy and counseling is very important.
Long-term Consequences. Liver damage, even if initially treated, can have long-term consequences. Chronic conditions such as liver cirrhosis, where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, can develop over time, leading to liver failure. Liver failure is life-threatening and might necessitate organ transplantation, an intricate procedure with its own set of challenges.
Treatments for Liver Damage
Quick and accurate diagnosis is fundamental in treating liver damage resulting from accidents. Medical professionals typically employ a combination of physical examination and diagnostic imaging techniques such as CT scans and ultrasounds to assess the extent of the damage. The treatment approach varies with the severity of the injury. For stable patients with minor injuries, non-operative management involving close monitoring and rest might suffice. However, in cases of significant liver damage, interventions become necessary.
Angiographic embolization is a common procedure used to control bleeding in liver injuries. It involves threading a catheter through blood vessels to the site of injury, where substances are injected to block or reduce blood flow, thereby controlling the bleeding. Surgery might be required for severe cases, involving procedures like hepatorrhaphy (suturing the liver), ligation of blood vessels, or in extreme cases, hepatic lobectomy (removal of a portion of the liver). The choice of treatment depends on the specific nature and extent of the injury, as well as the patient’s overall health.
Find Legal Counsel To Get Compensation for Your Liver Damage
When liver damage occurs due to someone else’s negligence, such as reckless driving or failure to adhere to safety regulations, you have legal rights to seek compensation. Legal recourse is often necessary to cover the substantial medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional distress resulting from such injuries. Pursuing a personal injury claim requires comprehensive evidence to establish liability.
Experienced personal injury attorneys are invaluable allies in this pursuit of justice.
Conclusion
Liver damage from an accident can change your life and healing should be your main priority. If the accident was caused by a third party, you may be able to obtain compensation for your treatment. This can alleviate the financial burden so you focus on rehabilitation. For the best chance of fair compensation, you need to have an experienced lawyer on your side. Insurance companies will likely try to provide as little compensation as possible and are often tricky to deal with. Hiring the right lawyer will be a major factor in your successful claim.
SOURCES:
S. Taghavi and R. Askari. Liver Trauma.
Scientific American. What is Homeostasis?
G. C. Velmahos et al. Angiographic embolization for arrest of bleeding after penetrating trauma to the abdomen.
R. Jagad, A. Thorat, and W. Lee. Management of Hepatobiliary Trauma.
Pediatric Surgery (Sixth Edition), 2006. Liver Lobectomy.
