New Research Demonstrates That Older Individuals Involved in Auto Accidents as Occupants Are More Likely to Suffer from Heart Failure & Strokes
New research just published concerning the correlation of heart failure and strokes amongst older occupants in auto accidents could have serious consequences for auto accident litigation. Specifically, it shows that older adults who are 65 of age and older, who have been occupants in cars during auto accidents, are more likely to suffer from heart failure or stroke due to these accidents.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine compared older people who were occupants in auto crashes to those who were hit as pedestrians to assess the likelihood of these individuals being hospitalized for heart failure or stroke during the six months after their accidents. They found that the risk of heart failure for occupants increased during 30 and 180 days following the accident, and the risk of stroke occurred during the 180-day follow-up.
Propensity Towards Developing Chronic Disease Must Be Taken into Account More Frequently
In other words, these accidents may very well lead to a chronic disease that requires further treatment; treatment and correlating consequences that must be taken into account in calculating costs and suffering that these individuals have suffered in these accidents. Specifically, in litigation, in assessing injuries and future costs medical complications and lost income, these injuries need to be taken into account in assessing whether the victim is going to also suffer from chronic disease due to the accident.
The study also demonstrated that older individuals are, overall, more likely to face a greater risk of motor vehicle crashes than other road users, even though most of them survive these injuries. Still, they face an increased severity of injury and heart failure, which have been identified as contributing to increased mortality later on.
Heart Failure in North America Is Already a Major Medical Issue That We Must Take Seriously
Heart failure is already a major health issue that is affecting people worldwide, where it constitutes approximately half of all hospital admissions throughout North America. Heart failure is also the final common pathway for most forms of cardiovascular disease, where the incidence of hospitalization in the US tripled just between 1979 and 2004; increasing in makes with advancing age.
Contact Our Texas Personal Injury & Auto Accident Attorneys
If you have any questions about suffering from medical injuries, chronic disease, and pain and suffering as a result of an auto accident in Texas, contact our experienced Houston auto accident attorneys at The West Law Office today to find out how we can help. When it comes to assessing your injuries, it is crucial that you are as comprehensive as possible, and work with an attorney who understands all of the “hidden” injuries that could also be lurking after your accident.
Resources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3682397/
eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/buso-hfs052319.php
