When we think about car accident injuries, we typically focus on injuries caused by blunt force trauma or penetrating injuries. However, this is not the only danger that car accident victims face. If a collision involves an explosion, fire, or leak of toxic substances, the accident victims could suffer serious and sometimes fatal inhalation injuries. This is an especially great concern in crashes involving commercial trucks hauling hazardous materials.
Inhalation injuries caused by toxic fumes in a car accident may involve lung damage from breathing in smoke or particulates, aspiration of liquids into the lungs, carbon monoxide poisoning, oxygen deprivation, and other potentially life-threatening injuries.
Exposure to Toxic Chemicals in a Car Crash
Smoke and gases released in a collision often contain extremely harmful chemicals called chemical asphyxiants. When inhaled, substances like hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, propane, ethane, and methane prevent a person from getting enough oxygen. The extent of the damage caused by chemical asphyxiants depends on how much of the substance was inhaled and how long the person was exposed to the dangerous chemicals.
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