When Should You Hire a Broken Bone Injury Attorney?

A broken or fractured bone is a common injury. In the United States, over six million people break one every year.

If you or someone you love has suffered a broken bone injury, you know how traumatic it can be. You need to seek medical immediately to avoid any long-term damage to your body. The sooner you get the injury treated, the more likely it’ll be that you’ll make a complete recovery.

Speaking with a broken bone injury attorney might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you break a bone. However, a broken bone can result in pain, loss of work, and countless medical bills.

In this guide, we’ll go over what you should do when you break a bone and if you should contact a broken bone injury lawyer.

Common Broken Bones

Broken bone injuries are defined by situations where a bone has been cracked or fractured. Over 1% of the U.S. population suffers from a broken bone annually, but some types of broken bones are more common than others.

Certain types of bone fractures or breaks are more common in children, but anyone is susceptible to breaking a bone.

Some common types of bone breaks and their treatments include:

• Collarbone: With a collarbone fracture, you’ll need to keep your arm in a sling until the break heals or surgery for a more severe break
• Wrist: Surgery, a cast, or splint are the typical treatments for a wrist fracture
• Ankle: Physical therapy is often recommended after you receive a cast, supportive shoe, or surgery for an ankle break
• Vertebral: The bones around your spinal cord are called vertebrae and can often need surgery to fix
• Hip: Surgery and physical therapy is the typical course of treatment for a hip fracture
• Forearm: Depending on how severe your break is, you’d need a brace, cast, or surgery
• Shinbone: It takes a great amount of force to break a shinbone and surgery, a brace, or cast are used to treat the break

While breaking a bone is very common, the severity of the break can have drastic effects on your recovery. Physical therapy is usually recommended by your doctor after a bone break. You can feel the effects of a bone fracture or break for months after the incident.

The Different Types of Broken Bones

Bones come in many different shapes and sizes that create a variety of ways in which they can break. Recovery time and treatment type vary based on the type of break that occurs.

The diagnosis of the broken bone injury must be done correctly in order to ensure the right form of treatment is taking place. Some fracture patterns and locations require very specific types of treatment to heal properly. Long-term complications, with sometimes life-changing consequences, can occur when the wrong form of treatment is used for a broken bone injury.

Displaced Fractures

When your bone has cracked and pieces of it have separated, this means you have a displaced fracture. In severe cases of displaced fractures, you would need surgery.

Non-Displaced Fractures

If your bone has been partially or entirely cracked but is staying in alignment, that means you have a non-displaced fracture. This type of fracture is one of the most common ways a bone breaks.

Stable Fracture

A stable fracture is typically not a severe bone break. The structural integrity of the bone remains mostly intact. The healing time is much faster with a stable fracture.

Open Fracture

A compound or open fracture is when the bone has punctured through the skin. This is a serious injury and comes with a high risk of infection.

Closed Fracture

With a closed fracture, the bone doesn’t penetrate the skin. It is still a serious injury. It can lead to permanent or long-term damage.

Simple Fracture

The bone has a clean break and not a lot of separation between the pieces of bone. It’s usually easier to treat than complex breaks.

What Causes a Broken Bone?

There are a variety of reasons one or more of your bones can get broken.  If your broken bone was caused by the negligence of another person, you are entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering and recovery costs.

Some common causes of broken bones are:

• Car accidents
• Defective product injuries
• Slips and falls
• Blunt force trauma
• Repetitive stress motions
• Workplace accidents
• Explosions
• Bicycle accidents
• Medical malpractice

If you’ve been in an accident that resulted in a broken bone, the person who caused your injury should be held responsible. You and your loved ones deserve fair and full compensation.

To ensure that you receive the maximum broken bone compensation that covers all of your damages, you’ll need the assistance of a qualified accident attorney. They understand the intricacies of the process and will help you get the amount of compensation you deserve.

How Do You Treat a Broken Bone?

Broken bone care depends upon its severity. This can include wearing a cast, splint, or even undergoing surgery. Delaying treatment for a broken bone can result in long-term complications.

Some of these complications include:

• Skin lacerations
• Punctured organs
• Internal bleeding
• Muscle damage
• Blood clots
• Nerve damage
• Blood in your organs
• Diminished range of motion

The recovery time from a broken bone can be as little as a few weeks or months. While your broken bone can be stable enough for normal activity, you might be out of work for weeks at a time. You shouldn’t have to undergo a financial burden because another person was negligent.

Compensation You Can Receive for a Broken Bone Injury

You can expect to receive compensation for non-economic and economic damages. The value of your broken bone injury claim depends on the severity and the nature of your injury.

Compensation typically includes:

• Loss of Income: Loss of wages, potential income, and/or reduced future earning potential
• Medical Costs: Cost of medical bills included medical care and hospital fees
• Ongoing Medical Costs: Mental, physical, rehabilitation, and speech therapy costs
• Loss of Quality of Life: Loss of enjoyment of life due to your injuries
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for medical distress, counseling expenses, etc.

What you’re compensated for depends on the injuries sustained. Your broken bone attorney will ensure that your estimated costs and injuries are documented.

What a Broken Bone Attorney Can Do for You

A broken bone lawyer will work directly with you, gathering information about your case and be your advocate. They’ll explain what your legal options are and if you have a case to make a broken bone claim. They’ll fight on your behalf to ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Insurance companies give different values for various injuries. The value depends on what bone breaks and the type of fracture. They’ll also take your symptoms into consideration.

If someone else caused your broken bone, you shouldn’t have to pay your medical bills. As human beings, we owe each other a duty of care.

What’s a Duty of Care?

A duty of care means that a person needs to act toward the public and other people with care, caution, attention, and watchfulness. If their actions don’t meet the usual standard of care, then that’s considered negligent. Any damages or injuries that are a result of their negligence may be claimed in any future lawsuits.

If a person breaches their duty of care, they need to be held accountable. Your broken bone attorney will work with you to prove that the opposing party was being negligent and that it caused you to sustain a broken bone.

Dealing With Insurance Companies

Insurance companies and the defendant don’t want to make it easy for you to receive a settlement. Anything you say to either party can be taken out of context and used against you.

That’s where an accident attorney comes in. They’ll speak directly to the other party and insurance companies for you, ensuring that nothing’s used against you.

Insurance companies will also argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you say they are. A lawyer will build a case using medical records, witness testimony, and police reports. We’ll investigate the incident and providing an objective analysis that shows the full extent of your injury.

If the insurance company fails to pay the full amount of your claim, we’ll litigate your case to ensure you receive every penny. You need a partner to help you through this process. Focus on healing and getting better.

Contact a Broken Bone Injury Attorney Today

If you’ve sustained a broken bone as the result of someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to contact a broken bone injury attorney. Seek medical attention so you don’t have any additional long-term effects from your injury. A qualified attorney can help you through the recovery process, helping you receive the maximum amount of compensation you deserve.

Contact Heidari Law Group for a free case evaluation. You won’t pay a dime until you’ve won your case.