Spleen Injuries

The spleen is an organ in the body that filters out infection and worn-out red blood cells; without a healthy spleen it is harder to fight off some infections. The spleen also supplies blood to the body in emergency situations.

It is a soft disc-shaped organ that sits under the lower part of the left side of the ribs. Spleen injuries can occur if there is impact to the left side of the chest or upper abdomen, from a slip, trip or fall, road traffic accident or assault. Symptoms of a spleen injury include pain in the left side of the abdomen and/or left shoulder, a lightheaded feeling, paleness and a weak pulse.

If your spleen injury was caused by someone else's negligence, whether it was inflicted as a personal injury through no fault of your own or through clinical negligence, you may be able to claim compensation. The levels of compensation awarded in successful claims depends on whether you have lost your spleen or whether it was damaged but you still retain the organ. This is because the loss of the spleen could lead to future infections and the long-term implications could be serious, therefore higher compensation is normally awarded for a lost spleen. Contact a member of the Claim-Easy team if you think you could claim compensation for a removed or damaged spleen.