Broken Glass Injuries in New Hampshire Car Accidents

While a car crash happens quickly, it's not a single event so much as a chain reaction. The force of impact can send objects and bodies flying, leading to secondary impacts and significantly more damage. In particular, car accidents can break windshields and windows, leading to broken glass injuries — which can be life-altering or even fatal.

If you're injured by broken glass in a car accident, the most important thing you can do is see a doctor right away. Some of these injuries can lead to severe and even life-threatening complications if not treated promptly. The second-most important thing is to talk to an experienced car accident attorney who can help you understand your legal rights and options.

Types of glass injuries in car crashes

There are a few ways broken glass can cause injury during a car accident. The force of impact can send glass shards flying through the air, potentially into drivers' or passengers' bodies. In high-impact collisions, occupants might be ejected from the vehicle and sustain glass injuries when going through the window. Or, after the crash itself, victims may cut their hands or other parts of their bodies on the broken windows while trying to extricate themselves from the wreckage.

Some of the types of broken glass injuries that can be sustained in car accidents include:

• Lacerations: Deep cuts or tears in the skin and flesh. Some lacerations are only skin-deep, but others can damage nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other underlying tissues. Deep lacerations may require surgery or skin grafts to repair and can lead to permanent scarring. There is also a significant risk of infection.
• Eye injuries: If broken glass hits the eyes, the damage sustained can cause temporary or permanent vision loss and other complications. Glass shards can become lodged in the eye itself or trapped between the cornea and the eyelid.
• Internal injuries: Shards of broken glass that hit the body with sufficient force can penetrate internal organs, causing potentially life-threatening damage. Surgery may be needed to remove the glass and repair the damaged organ.
• Neck wounds: Glass shards can cause significant damage to the nerves, blood vessels, and windpipe, and emergency medical attention may be needed to protect the victim's life.
• Penetrating brain injuries: In severe cases, glass can even penetrate the skull, causing direct damage to the brain.

These broken glass injuries can lead to serious life-threatening complications. Whenever a foreign object such as a glass shard enters the body, there is a risk of infection. Severe or infected injuries can lead to amputation (loss of limbs). Cuts and lacerations can also bleed heavily, potentially leading to shock and life-threatening organ damage.

Attorneys who pursue compensation for broken glass injuries in New Hampshire

An injury caused by broken glass can have a significant impact on your life. Medical expenses can be quite high, ranging from emergency medical treatment at the scene, to hospital care, to reconstructive surgery to repair scarring and other damage. Glass injuries can be extremely painful, and you should be compensated for your pain and suffering as well. In addition, you may be unable to work or do the things you love due to injury complications, especially if you have a long-term or permanent injury such as vision loss or loss of a limb.

All of these costs should be included in your car accident settlement or verdict. However, the insurance companies don't make it easy to recover full compensation. They have teams of adjusters and attorneys on their side fighting to reduce their financial exposure. You need your own advocate to level the playing field.

If you or a loved one sustained broken glass injuries in a car accident, contact the experienced New Hampshire car accident lawyers at Burns, Bryant, Cox, Rockefeller & Durkin, P.A. We have the experience and resources to stand up for injury victims in Dover, Portsmouth, and throughout the state. Schedule your consultation with a member of our legal team today.