The Surprising Link Between Accidents and Heart Attacks

When we think of heart attacks, and why they are caused, we usually believe that some combination of diet, cholesterol, or genetics, all contribute to having heart attacks. Heart attacks are things we believe that develop over time, perhaps years, of poor diet, or arteries getting clogged, or other causes that get worse over time, if left untreated.

This is all certainly true—but many people don’t realize the growing connection between heart attacks and trauma—specifically, the trauma that comes from accidents.

Studies Show a Causal Link

More and more, studies are showing that accidents contribute to heart attacks.

One interesting thing about the studies is that heart attacks often happen some time after the accident—not in the immediate aftermath. Studies have shown that as far out as 180 days after an accident, people who were injured in accidents had a far higher incident rate of heart attacks, than control groups that had not been in accidents.

That link even goes out many years; those in accidents were more likely to have heart attacks even many years after the accident than others did.

Studies don’t just show a connection between accidents and heart attacks—they show the same connection between accidents and other cardiac events, such as cardiac arrests. Cardiac arrests are different from heart attacks, and can happen equally to people of all ages (unlike heart attacks, which tend to affect adults more so than younger people).

Why the Connection?

Science does not have a definitive answer as to why heart attacks are more common in accident victims, although most believe the obvious.

The stress and trauma of not just an accident, but the post-accident recovery, can tax the human heart. This is in addition to the mental stress of worrying about health, wondering how you will pay bills, and other things that accident victims naturally have concern about.

Causation Issues and Causation Defenses

On the one hand, the growing research and medical acceptance of the causal link between heart attacks and accidents, can be used to show that the accident caused the heart attack, and thus to help victims get compensation for a heart attack.

But often, heart attacks don’t happen immediately after an accident. And anytime a symptom, injury, or ailment happens days, weeks or months after an accident, it gives the other side the opening to argue that the accident didn’t actually cause the injury.

In heart attack cases the Defendant will often argue that the heart attack was caused by other factors, that pre-existed the accident, or which had nothing to do with it. They will point to other causes, like family medical history, or the victim’s cholesterol, as causes of the heart attack. It often takes expert medical testimony to combat this defense.

Did you suffer a heart attack or other cardiac event after an accident? Contact the Tampa personal injury lawyers at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian and schedule a consultation today.

Sources:

bumc.bu.edu/busm/2019/05/23/heart-failure-stroke-greater-among-occupants-in-motor-vehicle-accidents/

thorax.bmj.com/content/thoraxjnl/36/11/811.full.pdf