Broken bones are common injuries in car accidents. They can range from small cracks or simple bone fractures to serious compound fractures - some of which can puncture internal organs.
Broken bones are often caused by high-impact trauma and often occur in:
- T-bone accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Lane-departure accidents
- Rollover accidents
- High-impact rear-end accidents
Crash victims can sustain broken bones when being ejected from a vehicle, crushed inside a vehicle, or in a rollover crash. In a head-on collision or frontal crash, a driver can sustain a broken collarbone or broken ribs when wearing a seatbelt.
Bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists are especially susceptible to sustaining broken bones in a crash because they're not protected by the frame of a motor vehicle.
Identifying a bone fracture
In any kind of traffic accident, it's common for crash victims to sustain:
- Tibia/fibula fractures
- Hip and pelvic fractures
- Femur fractures
- Broken wrists
- Broken arms
A bone fracture can be identified when a limb or joint is out of place, or you experience:
- Swelling, bruising, or bleeding
- Acute pain
- Numbness or tingling sensation
- Limited ability to move a limb
Types of broken bone injuries
Broken bones caused by car accidents can come in many different forms. They can be:
- Simple fractures: broken bone in one place
- Closed fractures: broken bone without break in skin
- Comminuted fracture: broken bone includes multiple fragments
- Open or compound fracture: the skin at the location of injury is broken and the bone exposed
- Oblique fracture: the fracture is angled along the long axis of a bone
- Undisplaced fracture/stable fracture: bones are broken, but still aligned
- Displaced fracture: bone pieces are out of place
- Transverse fracture: right angle fracture along long axis of the bone
- Greenstick fracture: one side of the bone is broken, causing a bend in the other side
The recovery process
If you have sustained broken bones in an auto accident, it's critical that you seek immediate medical attention. In some cases, broken bones can be life-threatening, if internal organs are impacted. Your medical treatment will most likely require X-rays, casting, possible surgery, pain medication, and physical therapy.
Additionally, keeping the bones in place may require metal plates, pins, screws, and wires. Once the bone is healed, you may have to rebuild strength, mobility, and flexibility in the impacted area.
These procedures can be costly, and those costs can add up. Furthermore, recovering from broken bones means time away from work and not being able to engage in activities you enjoy.
Why you need an attorney
Broken bones can take as little as six weeks to heal, but they may take months to fully recover. During this time, you may be wondering how you will afford to pay your medical expenses and make ends meet while you're unable to work. What's worse, the at-fault driver's insurance company may be reluctant to help you. If you suffer from osteoporosis, or any other condition that affects bone structure, they may claim that your pre-existing condition caused your injury.
Don't fall for their tricks. Speak to an experienced Connecticut auto accident attorney at the Law Offices of Salomone & Morelli today. We understand the frustration and confusion you may be going through, and we will work tirelessly to help you maximize your compensation. Contact us today to schedule your free, no obligation case evaluation.