Were you involved in a car accident that caused your body to be slammed into the steering wheel or something else? When the force of a car accident causes you to hit objects inside your car, it can cause blunt force trauma. You may not even realize you are hurt because the symptoms can take hours to days to appear. This means you could have serious internal injuries and still walk away feeling shaken but thinking you are okay. But just hours later you could discover hours that you have a serious or life-threatening injury.
At Schmidt Kramer, we represent car accident victims in Harrisburg every day, including those who have suffered severe blunt force trauma injuries. We are lawyers, not doctors, but we have seen firsthand the legal challenges our clients face with these claims — even right after their accident and while they are still healing. Our experienced team is ready to protect your legal rights and seek the compensation you need and deserve.
This legal guide explains what blunt force trauma is, how car crashes cause these injuries, and what steps to take immediately after an accident in Harrisburg. Learn how we can protect your legal claim, what compensation you may recover in Pennsylvania, and why talking to a lawyer before notifying the insurance company can make a critical difference in your case.
What Is Blunt Force Trauma in a Car Crash?
Blunt force trauma happens when your body gets hit by or slammed against something with enough force to cause injury. In a car crash, this type of injury can happen when your body collides with parts of the vehicle like the steering wheel, dashboard, or door. Unlike cuts or scrapes you can see, blunt force trauma causes damage to the inside of your body.
The impact from a collision can cause serious internal injuries, including:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: Your brain moves around during the impact and hits against your skull, which can cause a concussion, brain bleed or permanent cognitive damage that impacts your ability to work and live normally.
- Internal Organ Damage: The impact could tear or rupture your spleen, kidneys and other organs, causing internal bleeding that may not show symptoms for hours or days.
- Broken Ribs and Chest Injuries: Fractured ribs can puncture your lungs or damage your heart, making it hard to breathe or leading to other life-threatening complications.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: The force of a crash can seriously injury your neck or spine, in some cases, causing paralysis, loss of sensation, or permanent disability.
- Abdominal Injuries: Your stomach, pancreas, or bladder can be crushed or torn upon impact, requiring emergency surgery to prevent organ failure.
These injuries are especially dangerous because your body releases adrenaline after a crash, potentially masking symptoms of serious internal damage. By the time you feel pain or notice something is wrong, the injury may have already worsened.
Can I Sue for Blunt Force Trauma After a Car Crash in PA?
Yes, you can sue for blunt force trauma after a car crash in Pennsylvania as long as you can prove another driver’s negligence caused your injuries. If eligible, you may qualify to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages related to your blunt force trauma.
To have a case, you must be able to establish the following:
- The Other Driver Was at Fault: This means proving the other driver caused the crash through negligence — like speeding, distracted driving, running a red light, or drunk driving.
- Your Injuries Meet the Serious Injury Threshold: If you opted for limited tort insurance, your blunt force trauma must qualify as a serious injury under Pennsylvania law to sue for pain and suffering.
- You File Within Two Years: Pennsylvania gives you just two years from the crash date to file a lawsuit, or you permanently lose your right to compensation.
- You Have Medical Documentation: You need emergency room records, diagnostic tests, and treatment records to link your blunt force trauma to the crash that caused it.
Insurance companies may try to minimize or even deny your claim by arguing whether the car crash caused your injuries or by casting doubt on whether they are as bad as you claim.
What Should I Do First After Being Injured in a Car Accident
Get medical care immediately after a car crash in Harrisburg, even if you feel fine. The actions you take in the first hours after impact can determine whether you recover full compensation or lose your legal rights.
When blunt force trauma is suspected, take these critical steps:
- Tell ER Staff and Doctors You Were in a Car Crash: Explain exactly how your body struck some part of the vehicle. This information tells doctors they need to check for internal injuries.
- Request CT Scans or Ultrasounds for Abdominal or Chest Pain: Blunt force trauma to your torso can cause internal bleeding that doesn’t show up in a basic physical exam. Insist on diagnostic imaging if something feels wrong.
- Report Every Symptom — No Matter How Minor: Tell medical staff about any pain, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, or confusion. These can be early signs of blunt force trauma that will worsen without treatment.
- Ask for a Full Body Assessment: Don’t let doctors focus only on visible injuries. Internal damage from blunt force trauma often has no external signs but can be life-threatening.
These steps are critical from a medical standpoint to protect your health as internal injuries can quickly worsen. But seeking immediate medical attention helps to link your injuries to the crash that caused them — which you need to have a claim.
Every hour you wait to get a medical evaluation weakens your case. From the insurance company’s viewpoint, if you don’t have a doctor examine your injuries, you aren’t badly hurt. People with injuries want to get better, so they seek help right away. I
How Much Is a Blunt Force Trauma Claim Worth in Pennsylvania?
The value of any blunt force trauma claim varies. Every case is different as it depends on the severity of your injuries, how they affect your daily life, and the long-term impact on your ability to work and function. In Pennsylvania, you can recover both economic damages (financial losses) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering) when another driver’s negligence causes your injuries.
This means you may be able to recover compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Future lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Insurance companies will try to minimize the value of your claim by arguing your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim or that you’ll recover fully. They often make lowball settlement offers before you know the true extent of your blunt force trauma.
Why Contact a Lawyer Before Talking to the Insurance Company
Insurance companies are businesses focused on protecting their profits, not your health or financial recovery. The adjuster who calls you after your Harrisburg car crash works for the insurance company, not for you, and contacting a lawyer first protects your legal rights before you make mistakes that can destroy your claim.
Working with a lawyer means someone has your back, acting on your behalf to:
- Preserve Critical Evidence: Surveillance footage gets deleted within days, witnesses forget details and become harder to track down, and accident scenes get cleared away. We act immediately to preserve evidence before it is lost.
- Help You Avoid Damaging Mistakes: Giving recorded statements, posting about your accident on social media, and agreeing to early settlements are just a few of the mistakes we help you avoid. Any one of these can permanently damage your claim before you realize what is at stake.
- Understand What Your Claim Is Actually Worth: Most victims don’t know they can recover future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering — not just current bills.
- Document Your Injuries the Right Way: Medical records, diagnostic tests, and symptom journals strengthen your case. We show you exactly what evidence matters and how to track your recovery.
- Reject Lowball Settlement Offers: Insurance companies count on victims accepting quick settlements before understanding how serious their injuries are.
Stop Direct Contact With Adjusters: Once you hire us, insurance companies deal with us, not you.
One conversation with a lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and best interests when seeking damages following a car crash injury.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) People Ask About Blunt Force Trauma Claims
How long do I have to file a blunt force trauma claim in Pennsylvania?
You have two years from the date of your car crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Pennsylvania. This deadline is called the statute of limitations. If you miss it, you lose your right to recover compensation permanently. Insurance companies know this and may delay negotiations hoping you’ll run out of time.
Can I still file a claim if the insurance company says my blunt force trauma injury isn’t as bad as I claim?
Yes. Insurance companies routinely downplay blunt force trauma because internal injuries aren’t visible. They may argue that you’re exaggerating or that your injuries happened before the crash. When you get immediate medical attention, you have objective medical evidence that supports your claim. Diagnostic imaging, treatment records, and expert testimony further establish the severity of your injuries. A knowledgeable lawyer counters insurance company tactics, building a strong case that is harder to dispute.
What if I didn’t realize I had blunt force trauma until days after my car accident — can I still file a claim?
Yes. Delayed symptoms are common with blunt force trauma. Adrenaline masks pain immediately after a crash. Internal bleeding, organ damage, and brain injuries often don’t show symptoms for hours or days. You should seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear. Have your doctor document that your injuries match the force of your car accident. Pennsylvania law allows claims as long as you file within two years of the crash date.
Need Legal Help After a Harrisburg Car Crash? Call Our Trusted Law Firm Today
The insurance company is already building a case against you. You may still be recovering from your injuries, but adjusters are already reviewing your medical records. They are looking for missed appointments, gaps in treatment and any other reason they can find to minimize or deny your claim. Remember, the goal of the insurance company is to protect their bottom line by finding legal reasons to pay you as little as possible.
Don’t make it so easy for them to pay you less than the value of your claim. Call today to speak with one of our highly qualified car accident lawyers in Harrisburg. When you wait to call a lawyer, you risk losing evidence and make your claim easier to dispute.
At Schmidt Kramer, we help injured victims every day, and we are deeply committed to securing favorable outcomes for our clients. We know exactly what it takes to prove the severity of your blunt force trauma injuries, counter insurance company tactics, and fight for the full compensation you deserve. There are no upfront costs or fees to pay when we represent you. We only get paid if you do.
Call Schmidt Kramer today for a free, no risk consultation. We would be honored to help you. (717) 888-8888.