Broken bones are an unfortunately common occurrence for many people who have been in a car accident. These fractures can be very serious, very painful and require prompt medical attention in order to avoid potential long-term consequences. Some fractures never heal completely and leave victims with lifelong impairments.
Broken Bones After a West Virginia Car Wreck
Broken bones are also very expensive – not only in terms of medical and physical therapy bills, but also because of the lost wages, pain and suffering they cause. If you’ve suffered a serious injury like a broken bone in a car crash, you need a serious injury lawyer like Jim Leach. Here are just a few reasons you need Jim on your side:
- Our legal team has experience, grit and commitment that separate us from the rest.
- We have built a reputation for doing what it takes to advocate for our clients’ rights and interests.
- Insurance companies know that we are ready to go to court, which puts us in a better position to negotiate a fair settlement.
- We understand that you might only need some advice. If so, we will give you free advice and won’t take your case unless we believe we can put you in a better situation.
- We take pride in providing exceptional client service and frequent updates about the status of our clients’ cases.
- We use an efficient case-management system to help make sure your case moves smoothly through the process, which helps us deliver positive results in a timely fashion.
Tell Jim today about your car crash and broken bones now. We charge nothing for the claim review and we accept no attorney’s fee until you recover compensation on your claim. We are prepared to review your situation and discuss your legal options whenever you are ready.
Causes of Broken Bones in Parkersburg, WV Car Accidents
Broken bones in car crashes are the result of force impacting the body. Broken bones may be caused by contact with deployed airbags, seatbelts, windshields, other people, other objects in the car or the structure of the car itself. Those who are suffering from osteoporosis may be more susceptible to broken bones in a car crash.
How Do I Know If I Have a Broken Bone?
A few indications that you may have a fracture after being in an accident include:
- Swelling or bruising
- Deformity of a body part
- Body part at an unnatural angle
- Pain at the site of the injury that gets worse when pressure is applied
- Open injury, possibly with a protruding bone.
Some severe fractures are apparent just from looking at the injury, while others, like hairline fractures, may only be seen in an X-ray. If you have pain after an auto accident, seek prompt attention from medical professionals and make sure you alert them to any areas of your body that are hurting or sensitive.
Medical professionals can sometimes diagnose a fracture by touch or appearance, but an X-ray is typically done to see the fracture in detail, determine what type of fracture it is and pinpoint the exact location of the break. In some cases, a CT (computerized tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan may be done for better visualization of the fracture.
How Broken Bones are Treated: West Virginia Car Accident Lawyer
Regardless of which bone was fractured and what type of fracture it is, the bones need to be set in their proper place and maintained in the correct position until they heal and fuse back together. If the fracture is an open fracture, the wound must be cleaned in order to prevent infection.
The way broken bones are treated depends on which bone was broken and the fracture type. Some fractures, like broken ribs, may not require treatment beyond managing pain. The following are some of the common treatment options for fractures:
- Cast or brace. This is the most common method for treating fractures. A physician will set the bone and then put a protective plaster cast or brace on the outside to keep the bones in the correct position until they can grow back together. The length of time that the cast is used may vary between 4-6 weeks or more.
- Reconstructive surgery. If the bones are shattered in the fracture, reconstructive surgery may be necessary. This may include implanting plates, wires and screws in order to connect small bones and align them so that they heal properly, or other procedures if there is an injury to vertebrae or discs.
- Medication. Painkillers may be given in order to help manage pain and swelling, and antibiotics will be administered if the fracture is an open fracture.
Types of Fractures From West Virginia Car Accidents
There are a few different ways of classifying fractures. The main distinctions are based on whether the fracture is open or closed and whether it is complete or incomplete.
- Open fractures, also called compound fractures, are where the bone breaks through the skin, but may recede back into the wound. The bone may or may not be visible. Closed fractures, also called simple fractures, do not have an outside wound — the bone stays inside the skin. Open fractures are more serious because of the damage to surrounding muscles and tendons, and because of the risk of infection both on the surface and in the bone. Open fractures tend to take longer to heal than closed fractures.
- Complete fractures are fractures where the bone has broken all the way through, into two or more parts. Incomplete fractures are fractures where the bone has only been broken part of the way through, but is not completely separated.
Types of Bone Fractures Common in West Virginia Car Wrecks
Virtually any bone may be broken in a crash. Some of the bones commonly fractured in car accidents include:
- Face and skull
- Wrist
- Arms
- Clavicle
- Ribs
- Spine (vertebrae/discs)
- Shin or ankle (tibia or fibula)
- Thigh bone (femur shaft)
- Hip
- Pelvis
The Long-Term Consequences of Broken Bones from Car Accidents
If a fracture goes untreated, there could be serious long-term consequences. An untreated fracture could result in damage to nerves or blood vessels, an infection of the tissue surrounding the injury, or a deformity if bones grow back together in an unnatural position without being set properly.
Spinal fractures could result in blood clots because of long periods of bed rest, pneumonia, pressure sores or a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that travels to the lungs.
Also, some patients may take longer to heal than others, depending on the age and health of the patient and severity of the fracture. As a rule, fractures in older people occur more frequently, take longer to heal and may result in serious complications.
Open fractures are dangerous because they could result in deep bone infections, which require time and effective medical treatment to heal.
Types of Compensation Available for People Who Suffer Broken Bones from a WV Car Crash
If you have suffered broken bones as a result of a car crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Depending on who is at fault, or who is comparatively at fault in the accident, you may be able to get compensation from your insurance company or the insurance company of the at-fault motorist.
West Virginia Car Accident Lawyers: Broken Bones From Accident
Jim Leach is an experienced car accident attorney in Parkersburg, West Virginia, who can help you fight for the compensation you need to recover for your losses. Jim is not afraid of the courtroom and is willing to do what is necessary to get results for his clients.
Contact Car Accident Lawyer Jim Leach Attorneys at Law today for answers to your specific questions about your car accident injuries during a free case evaluation with our experienced Parkersburg car accident lawyer. We represent injured victims in Parkersburg and throughout West Virginia and Ohio.