Broken Bones

Broken bones are a common injury suffered in serious accidents. When evaluating cases and clients’ medical records, we often see broken noses, arms, pelvises, jaws, and ankles. Here, we break down these different types of breaks, their symptoms, and how you can hold negligent parties accountable for these types of injuries.

Broken Bone Causes

Causes of broken injuries vary from one injury to the other. Due to the nature of humans trying to get hold of something when falling to keep balance, broken bones normally occur when falling. Some other causes of broken bones are:

• Assaults
• Osteoporosis
• Car accidents
• Slip and falls
• Truck accidents
• Sports-related injuries
• Work-related injuries
• Premises liability injuries

The victim should not carry the medical bill burdens if the injuries are a result of the negligent actions of another person. You should seek the services of an experienced broken bone accident lawyer willing to handle your case and represent you in a courtroom.

Broken Bone Symptoms

Some broken bones may be noticeable although that depends on the severity. Below are a few symptoms of broken bones you can look for:

• Bruising
• Limited Range of Motion
• Deformation
• Numbness
• Tenderness
• Painful Movements
• Scaring
• Stiffness
• Swelling

If you suffer a broken bone injury, it is advisable that you seek medical attention immediately. Medical documents can be used by a broken bone accident lawyer to help draft a case against the negligent individual who is responsible for your injuries.

Treating Broken Bones

It is important to seek medical attention if you have a broken bone. This will help in reducing the pain and further injury. The treatment varies depending on the broken part of the bone. Therefore, it may take longer for some individuals to heal than others

Some common treatments include:

• Immobilization
• Medication
• Surgery
• Ice
• Physical therapy
• Elevation

These treatments are aimed at ensuring that an individual can carry on with normal daily activities once again. In many cases, most individuals can carry on with daily activities just as they did before the accident occurred.

Broken Noses

You suffered a broken nose and it was not your fault. You can sue for money to pay for your accident-related expenses. Obtaining compensation in form of damages can be done in a court or out of court. Before explaining more about getting compensation, let’s break down this type of injury.

What Constitutes a Broken Nose Injury?

A broken or fractured nose occurs when there is a crack or breaks in your nose bone. It is a seriously painful, but often not a life-threatening injury. The symptoms associated with your broken nose are often sharp and instant pain and:

• Bleeding
• Misshaped or crooked nose
• Swelling and bruising of the nose and any surrounding tissue
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing

Broken Arms

Types of Broken Arms

Arm injuries can interfere with the normal daily activities of a person. Arm injuries differ due to the difference in bone structure, and they include:

• Buckle Fracture: This type of broken bone typically affects children. These types of breaks do not go completely through the bone.
• Closed Fracture: These fractures are where breaks occur but the bone does not penetrate the skin.
• Displaced Fracture: When a bone is displaced, it means the ends of the bone are no longer aligned properly and oftentimes need a realignment.
• Incomplete or “Greenstick” Fracture: These “fractures” are when bones bend but do not break. While still extremely painful, you do not typically see breaks or cracks in the bone where an incomplete fracture occurred.
• Open Fracture: These fractures are the opposite of closed fractures. These fractures result in bones breaking through the skin. They often require surgery, realignment, and extensive rehabilitation to fully recover.

Along with these fractures, complete and stress fractures are commonly seen as well. The amount of time that an arm takes to heal is directly correlated to the severity of the injury. Open fractures take the longest time to heal. Individuals can comfortably use their arms again once the broken part has completely healed.

Other Common Broken Bone Injuries

At our firm, we also see instances where victims of personal injury have suffered broken ankles, broken pelvises, and jaws. These injuries can be extremely painful and can take months to fully recover. In some cases, a full recovery may not be possible depending on the severity of the injury.

A Duty of Care Was Owed

Negligence is the failure of a person to act as a reasonable person in the same and/or similar situation. This “reasonable person” does not exist. Instead, the reasonable person is standard courts use. The standard compares the at-fault party’s actions with the actions of someone who would do the right the in the same situation. If the court finds the person who caused your injury did the opposite of what a reasonable person would have done, then they are liable. They failed to protect you from harm. If they did the same thing as a reasonable person would do, they were not at fault for the accident.

The way the court determines if the at-fault party injured you is done in four steps. The steps are called elements. The elements are:

1. Prove a Duty of Care Was Owed: The other party owed you a legal duty to protect you from an accident. They were legally responsible for preventing your injury.
2. Prove Negligence: The other party breached the legal duty to protect you from harm. They caused the accident that broke your bones. You can show this by showing the accident was their fault.
3. Prove Harm Was Done: Next, you have to show your broken bones were the result of their negligence. A lawyer will use expert testimony to show the other party’s negligence was what directly or indirectly caused your injury.
4. Damages Are Owed: Damages are a money award for the accident-related expenses you incurred because of your injury. These damages include medical bills and lost wages.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today

Sustaining a broken bone can be a devastating experience. You may need surgery, rehabilitation, casts, braces, slings, and even plastic surgery to correct your injury. Contact our Los Angeles broken bone attorneys immediately for help today.

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