When extreme stress is put upon our bodies in an accident, the forces may result in the bone giving way in the form of a fracture or break. Although one person’s bones may be more susceptible to fractures due to diminished bone density or age, that is irrelevant under the law.
Put another way, if a fracture is due to the negligence of another party, the injured person is entitled to recover for the resulting medical expenses, pain and disability — both sustained in the past and likely required in the future.
The severity of the fracture is usually dependent upon both the mechanism of the injury and the physical condition of the person. The elderly are particularly at risk for developing complex fractures due to accidents and falls that may require surgery to stabilize the fracture with hardware (known as open reduction, internal fixation ORIF).
Children are also at risk for sustaining fractures due to falls and trauma. While fractures of younger children’s bones are more likely to heal faster than an older person’s, doctors must evaluate every child-related fracture to determine if the fracture involves the growth plate. When the fracture does involve the growth plate, doctors may need to monitor the child for several years to ensure that there is no impact on the growing process.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has helped recover significant damages for many clients who have sustained fractures in various types of accidents. Put our experience to work for you. We offer free, no-obligation consultations at your home or hospital room.
Related materials from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers:
Falls in nursing homes are one of the biggest safety threats encountered by patients. Statistics tell use that more than one-third of all adults over age 65 fall unintentionally every year.
A sizable percentage of these falls result in severe injury or death predominately due to complications from head injury or hip fractures. Recognizing the severity of the problem, federal regulations require nursing homes to conduct a fall-risk assessment of all newly admitted patients both at the time of their admission and conduct similar follow up on a quarterly basis or when the patients health care needs dictate.
Care plans for patients who may be at risk for falling may include precautions such as….
As we age, our bones become weaker and are more susceptible to dangerous bone breaks. This is because older bones form small cracks more easily, which makes bone breaks more likely.
In order to prevent dangerous bone breaks– and to help determine fractures that may be the result from situations involving nursing home abuse– it is helpful to understand the types of fractures and what causes them. Common types of bone fractures include: Stress fracture, Spontaneous fracture, Compression fracture, Traumatic fracture….
Children are energetic, active, and playful. They play as hard as they can and are oftentimes unaware of their own safety. As can be expected, bone breaks or fractures are very common (diagram of bone breaks) in children. Bone breaks are the fourth most common accidental injury for children under 6-years-old.
Broken bones can be difficult to recognize if the bone is not displaced. Signs and symptoms of bone breaks include: pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, numbness, limited mobility, deformity…