Broken Bones & Fractures Injury Lawyers

There are over 200 bones in your body. Unfortunately, broken bones are common, and fractures can happen in many ways. If you suffered a catastrophic bone fracture because of someone’s negligence in a vehicle or other type of accident, a personal injury lawyer at Nix Patterson might be able to help you. Our attorneys will fight for compensation for your medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

What Are the Types of Bone Fractures?

Almost any bone in your body can be broken in an accident. Some bones that can be fractured and even shattered in a violent accident are the arms, legs, hands, feet, ankles, collarbone, sternum, ribs, and spine.

Bones may fracture in the following ways in an accident:

• Open compound fracture. The shattered bone pierces the skin. Or an external object penetrates the skin and damages the bone.
• Stable fracture. A simple fracture where the ends of the bone line up precisely.
• Segmental fracture. The same bone is broken in two places, so one piece is floating.
• Compression fracture. A crushing injury that shatters the bone into multiple pieces.
• Spiral fracture. The fracture spirals in the bone, which is common in a twisting accident.
• Oblique fracture. The fracture in the bone is at an angle.
• Transverse fracture. The fracture in the bone goes in a horizontal direction.
• Comminuted fracture. The bone shatters into several pieces.

If you suspect you fractured a bone in an accident, you should get medical treatment as soon as possible. Getting prompt medical attention ensures the best medical result. Also, being seen by a doctor quickly prevents the insurance company from claiming your injury is unrelated to the incident.

How Bone Fractures Happen

Severe bone fractures happen in a variety of serious accidents:

Auto Accidents

One of the most common causes of catastrophic bone fracture injuries is car accidents. Whether the accident involves one vehicle, multiple vehicles, or a pedestrian, severe bone fractures are common. For example, you could have a fracture caused by:

• Slamming into the ground after being thrown from your bicycle or motorcycle. A typical scenario is when a car turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle. You may slam into the car, get thrown, and shatter bones when hitting the ground.
• A limb is crushed in a massive collision, such as with a tractor-tractor trailer. Truck crashes often cause catastrophic fractures to the arms, legs, feet, hands, or face.
• Being ejected from the vehicle during a crash. For example, you could be thrown from the car during a high-speed collision or rollover if you do not wear a seatbelt.
• Hitting an immobile object, such as a rock or tree, during a crash. A common situation is covering one’s head during the impact, crushing the hands, fingers, or wrists.

Slip and Fall Accidents

The CDC reports that approximately 20% of falls cause severe injuries, including bone fractures. Slip and fall accidents injure more than two million people annually. During a slip and fall, the person may put their arms out to break the fall, leading to a severe arm fracture. A hip fracture during a fall is another common injury.

Construction Site Accidents

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that construction sites are a common source of severe injuries, such as fractures. Whether the bone fracture is caused by machinery, a fall, scaffolding, etc., you could be entitled to compensation in a personal injury claim.

Possible Compensation After a Bone Fracture Injury

When you hire an experienced bone fracture attorney, you can seek compensation for your losses and damages. Our lawyers will fight tirelessly to obtain compensation for you in some or all of these areas, depending on your situation:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost earnings
• Past and future medical bills
• Past and future lost earnings
• Lost earning capacity
• Loss of the enjoyment of life

What Is a Bone Fracture Injury Worth?

Broken bones can be expensive and painful. Healthcare.gov reports that even with insurance, bone fracture surgery can cost $10,000 out of pocket. If the bone is severely broken, a complex surgery may cost up to $50,000.

Some personal injury clients have shattered bones in crush injuries that require several surgeries, overnight hospital stays, and rehabilitation. Each night in the hospital can cost $10,000 or more.

If someone else is responsible for your injury, you should not have to shoulder these costs alone. How much you can receive in a bone fracture settlement or judgment after an accident varies significantly by case. Factors that influence what you may receive in a bone fracture settlement or judgment are:

• The bone that was fractured and if more than one bone was injured.
• The effect the bone fracture has on your daily life and work capacity.
• How much medical treatment you need.
• Whether your attorney can prove the defendant caused the accident.

Which Bones Are Broken Most Often?

Any bone in the body can be severely fractured in an accident. One of the most delicate and common bones is the collarbone or clavicle. No matter how old you are, the placement and length of the collarbone leave it vulnerable to injury. For example, the collarbone is sometimes shattered when someone is thrown from a bike or motorcycle.

The femur and tibia in the legs are often severely fractured in high-speed auto accidents. The leg bones are vital to daily functioning, so a severe fracture can make it difficult to live normally for months or even years.

Contact a Nix Patterson Bone Fracture Lawyer Now

A severe bone fracture can turn your life upside down. It’s often difficult and painful to function normally when you struggle with a severely broken arm, leg, hand, or foot.

The experienced attorneys at Nix Patterson will fight for you to receive adequate compensation to recover and move on with your life. Contact us today for a complimentary legal consultation about your injury case.