The Parrish Car Accident & Personal Injury Law Firm | July 28, 2025 | Personal Injury
It’s estimated that about 60,000 people in the U.S. die from blood loss, also known as hemorrhaging or exsanguination, each year. However, it is important to recognize that it is possible to die from exsanguination without losing a single drop of blood from your body; internal injuries can cause bleeding that’s severe enough to be fatal.
That’s one reason why it’s always important to seek medical care if you are injured in an accident such as a car crash. A doctor can check for other symptoms of exsanguination and ensure you get the proper care before any severe damage can happen to your body.
What Happens During Exsanguination?
Depending on a person’s injury, they can die from exasperation within days, hours, or even minutes. More than 50% of people with traumatic injuries don’t survive for more than a few moments after their accident, so if you or someone near you incurs a severe external injury, call 911 immediately.
When a person loses blood rapidly, they experience a condition known as hemorrhagic shock, which itself can lead to the following:
- Core hypothermia
- Impaired blood coagulation
- Acidosis
- Abnormal heartbeat or heart rhythm
If the bleeding is not stopped, the person’s blood pressure will drop, and without the vital delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, heart, and other organs, they will fail, and the person will die.
Signs and Symptoms of Exsanguination
It’s possible to have unseen injuries that are nevertheless severe enough to cause exsanguination. Mild symptoms include headache, fatigue, or nausea, but without visible bleeding, it’s understandable that most people would not suspect severe blood loss based on mild symptoms.
Nevertheless, if you or someone else is experiencing any of these symptoms, call emergency services:
- Loss of consciousness
- Weak pulse
- Pale, cold, or clammy skin
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Confusion
- Dizziness
Exsanguination itself may not be a painful condition; the initial injuries can cause pain that masks any discomfort related to hemorrhaging. Regardless, though, if their blood loss isn’t stopped, the person may begin to feel cold or have numbness in their extremities.
What Conditions Cause Hemorrhagic Bleeding?
Many types of injuries can be severe enough to cause critical blood loss. Crush injuries, for instance, can cause internal bleeding. Traumatic brain injuries, such as those caused by gunshot wounds, can cause a hematoma (a pool of blood that collects outside of a vessel) to form.
Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, work injuries, and assaults are some of the most common types of accidents that can cause life-threatening levels of bleeding.
Still, other causes of exsanguination include the following:
- Cuts or lacerations
- Blunt force trauma
- Suicide attempts
- Ruptured aneurysms
- Infections
- Cancers
Surgical complications or mistakes can also cause severe internal or external injuries that end up causing exsanguination or hemorrhaging.
Can Exsanguination Be Treated?
Exsanguination is an emergency medical condition that requires rapid action. A doctor or emergency provider will first attempt to stop the bleeding, as preventing any more blood loss from occurring is necessary for the person’s survival. Medical professionals may also give the patient transfusions and other intravenous (IV) medications.
Treatment of the hemorrhagic shock is secondary; medications and other therapies can be used to boost organ function and improve circulation. A full recovery isn’t always possible, but death from exsanguination is rare by this point.
Additionally, not all organ damage can be reversed. Continuing therapies may be needed to support healthy organ function for the rest of the person’s life.
Contact the Personal Injury at The Parrish Car Accident & Personal Injury Law Firm for Help Today
If you or someone you know received injuries serious enough to cause exsanguination or wrongfully died from blood loss, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Hospital bills and other medical costs related to an exsanguination emergency can be astronomical, and if negligence was the cause, you can seek the financial support you deserve by filing a lawsuit.
For more information, please contact our experienced attorneys at The Parrish Car Accident & Personal Injury Law Firm to schedule a free consultation today. We have two convenient locations in Manassas, VA and Fairfax, VA.
The Parrish Car Accident & Personal Injury Law Firm Manassas
9208 Lee Ave, First Floor, Manassas, VA, 20110
(571) 229-1800
Open 24/7
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The Parrish Car Accident & Personal Injury Law Firm Fairfax
4000 Legato Rd #1100, Fairfax, VA, 22033
(571) 200-5424
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Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Fairfax
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