Pediatric trauma to the torso poses special challenges

Any time a child gets struck by a motor vehicle while walking or riding a bicycle, the injuries can be catastrophic. In some of the most severe cases, those injuries may even be fatal.

Traumatic torso injuries, in particular, can present special diagnostic and treatment challenges. Because children are still developing, their bones are softer and more able to absorb the shock of blunt force trauma without breaking. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the injuries they suffer are not potentially life-threatening. It just means those injuries may be harder to detect.

Internal injuries are silent killers

If no ribs appear broken in a cursory on-scene examination, a small child who was hit by a car may not be properly triaged by the emergency responders. However, that same child could be bleeding out internally from the force of the accident. They could suffer pulmonary contusions or pneumothoraces that cause their conditions to worsen in the minutes and hours after the initial impact.

Never try to “shake off” an impact

Older children who get involved in a pedestrian or biking accident with a car or other motor vehicle may initially try to shake off the accident. They may appear lucid and only have a few scrapes and bruises to show for their injuries.

Never allow a child to skip a full medical evaluation at a hospital or trauma center. Physicians there can run a battery of tests that can indicate a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or internal injuries like a lacerated liver that if not treated appropriately, could quickly prove fatal.

What happens after an accident?

If you are the parent of a child injured in a pedestrian or biking accident, you may need to file a claim for compensation to cover the medical expenses, as well as other related costs. That’s the best way to hold the negligent driver accountable and provide for your family’s needs.