Splenic laceration accident attorney

The spleen is the abdominal organ most commonly injured in blunt trauma, typically from a seatbelt or steering wheel impact or a blow to the left side. Bleeding can be rapid and life-threatening, and where the organ has to be removed the person carries a permanently increased risk of serious infection for the rest of their life. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles catastrophic injury claims in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.

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What the imaging and records show

CT with contrast is the study, grading the laceration, identifying active bleeding and quantifying free blood in the abdomen. Grading matters because it drives the decision between observation and intervention. Ultrasound is used in the emergency setting to detect free fluid rapidly. Follow-up imaging documents healing where the organ was preserved. The operative record documents removal or repair where surgery was performed.

Why this injury meets the legal threshold

A graded organ laceration on CT is unambiguous objective injury. Where the spleen was removed, the loss of an organ is permanent and carries lifelong consequences. Where it was preserved, the injury and its management are still fully documented. Severity is not usually contested here.

Typical treatment course and prognosis

Many splenic injuries are now managed without surgery, with observation, monitoring and sometimes embolisation to stop bleeding, preserving the organ. Where bleeding cannot be controlled or the person is unstable, removal is necessary. After removal, the person requires specific vaccinations against encapsulated organisms, sometimes ongoing preventive antibiotics, and a lifelong awareness that any fever must be treated urgently because of the risk of overwhelming infection.

How these claims are contested

Rarely on the injury, which is documented. More often on the long-term consequence, particularly where the spleen was preserved — the argument being that healing was complete and there is no lasting effect. Where the spleen was removed, expect the lifelong infection risk to be characterized as theoretical. It is not: it is the reason for the vaccination protocol and the urgent-fever rule, and it should be documented as a permanent change in health status.

Building the claim properly

Obtain the CT grading and the operative record. Where the spleen was removed, document the vaccination requirements, any ongoing preventive medication, and the physician’s instructions regarding fever and travel — this is what converts an abstract risk into a documented lifelong management burden. Document any associated injuries, since the same mechanism frequently injures the ribs, the left kidney and the diaphragm.

Available insurance coverage

What can be recovered is limited by what coverage exists. The at-fault party’s policy is the starting point, but it is frequently not the only source: the injured person’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, household policies, employer coverage where a vehicle was used for work, umbrella and excess layers, and the coverage of any additional responsible party can all apply. Underinsured coverage typically requires notice and consent before any settlement with the at-fault party — settling first can forfeit it. Identifying every available layer is early work, not closing work.

How damages are categorised and proven

Damages are not a single number that gets negotiated. They are separate categories, each proven by different evidence. Past medical expense is proven by billing records and the reasonableness of the charges. Future medical expense requires a physician’s opinion that the care is reasonably certain to be needed. Lost income is proven by employment and tax records; lost earning capacity is a different and larger question requiring vocational and economic analysis. Non-economic loss — pain, limitation, and the effect on daily life — is proven through the medical record and through testimony from people who can describe specific changes rather than general decline. No one can responsibly tell you what a case is worth before that evidence exists, and any figure offered at the outset is a guess.

Filing deadlines

Every injury claim is governed by a statute of limitations, and the periods differ by state and by claim type. For personal injury actions the period is two years in Virginia under Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), accruing at the date of injury; three years in Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; three years in the District of Columbia under D.C. Code § 12-301(8); two years in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; and three years in New York under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5). These are general periods. Discovery rules, tolling for minors and incapacity, claims against government entities — the District imposes a six-month notice-of-claim requirement for claims against the District government — and claim-specific statutes can shorten or extend them. Do not rely on a general period for your own case; have the deadline confirmed on your facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the spleen injured so often?

Because it sits high in the left upper abdomen behind the lower ribs, where it is exposed to seatbelt and steering wheel impacts and to blows to the left side. It is highly vascular, which is why injury to it can cause rapid and dangerous bleeding.

Can the spleen be saved?

Frequently, yes. Many splenic injuries are now managed without surgery through observation and monitoring, sometimes with embolisation to stop the bleeding. Preservation is preferred where it is safe, because of the organ’s role in fighting certain infections. Where bleeding cannot be controlled, removal is necessary.

What happens if my spleen is removed?

You lose an organ that helps defend against certain bacteria, leaving a permanently increased risk of severe and rapidly progressing infection. This requires specific vaccinations, sometimes preventive antibiotics, and a lifelong rule that any significant fever needs urgent medical attention. It is a permanent change in health status.

Is that risk really lifelong?

Yes. The increased susceptibility does not resolve. It is why vaccination protocols exist for people without a spleen and why they are advised to seek care urgently for fever and to take precautions when traveling to certain regions. It should be documented as a permanent consequence rather than treated as theoretical.

What is a delayed splenic rupture?

Bleeding that occurs days or occasionally weeks after the original injury, from a laceration that initially appeared contained. It is a recognized phenomenon and it is why observation and follow-up matter after splenic injury. New abdominal pain, dizziness or left shoulder pain after such an injury needs urgent assessment.

Should other organs have been checked?

Yes. The same mechanism frequently injures the lower ribs, the left kidney, the diaphragm and sometimes the pancreas. A CT for abdominal trauma normally assesses these, but if you have unexplained symptoms it is worth confirming what was examined and reported.

Will this affect travel or work?

It can. Absence of a spleen carries specific advice about travel to regions with certain infections, and about seeking care urgently when unwell. Some occupations involving remote locations or limited medical access may be affected. Any such restriction should be documented by your physician.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Two years in Virginia and New Jersey, three years in Maryland, the District of Columbia and New York for personal injury actions, subject to tolling and to shorter notice requirements where a government entity is involved. Confirm the deadline on your own facts.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him. In 2019 Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee on House Bill 635.

Speak with Mr. Sris

Injury claims are governed by filing deadlines that vary by state and by claim type, and evidence degrades quickly. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026.

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