Most Common Bones Broken in Car Accidents

Sustaining one or more broken bones in a car accident can be devastating. Many bone breaks require surgical intervention and months of physical therapy. Pain management can be complex even with the best pain management specialists on board. Your recovery process is slow, but the medical expenses pile up quickly.

Car accidents are a fairly common reason for broken bones. Between the serious injuries sustained in a car wreck, the pain, and the medical bills, you may be feeling hopeless about your healing process.

The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC understand car accident fractures and are here to help. You might be entitled to compensation if negligence on the part of the other driver resulted in your broken bones.

Call our Chicago car accident law firm at (888) 424-5757 today for a free initial consultation and rest easy knowing that they will advocate for your rights regardless of the car accident circumstances.

Common Causes Of Broken Bones Due To Car Accidents

A car or motorcycle accident can result in many injuries. However, broken bones, also known as bone fractures, are some of the most common injuries.

Why Is a Broken Bone Common After a Car Accident?

Depending upon the speed of the cars involved and the nature of the traffic incident, bone fractures occur because of force. Even car accidents occurring at relatively low speeds can cause fragile bone breaks.

Other factors affecting common fractures sustained in car crashes include the type of collision, whether the accident victims were wearing a seatbelt, and the strength of the bone.

A head-on or rear-end collision can cause you to be thrown forward, striking the steering wheel, and suffer cranial fractures. Facial fractures, broken noses, or even brain damage are unfortunate but common injuries resulting from car accidents.

Rear-end collisions and even some head-on collisions can cause fractures of the spinal vertebrae. Any suspected fracture of the spine requires immediate medical attention because it can result in significant disability or even death.

Following a car crash, clavicle fractures are a very common bone fracture because the clavicle is the most fragile bone in the human body. This bone is found above the rib cage and can fracture easily with sudden impact.

Even some of the strongest bones, like the thigh bone, can suffer fractures if under significant stress, as in an auto accident.

What Other Common Broken Bones Occur After a Car Accident?

In addition to the fractures listed above, many other broken bones are possible following a car accident:

• Rib fractures are common injuries due to blunt force trauma. This fracture type can lead to significant injuries such as a punctured lung or pneumonia.
• Wrist fractures can occur after striking the steering wheel.
• A comminuted fracture occurs when bones break in multiple places. Common places for this type of fracture include the lower leg, the upper leg, and the bones of the arm.
• Hairline fractures are a tricky type of bone fracture that can go undetected until the bone progresses to a complete fracture.
• A compound fracture occurs when the bone breaks through the skin. It requires immediate medical treatment in immediate surgery and antibiotic therapy.
• Buckle fractures typically occur in children because their bones are still growing. It occurs when the bone buckles instead of fractures.
• A stress fracture is similar to a buckle fracture in that it commonly occurs in children who have softer bones. This fracture type involves a bend on one side of the bone and a fracture on the other.

Next Steps After Bone Fractures in a Car Crash

Suffering a bone fracture in a car crash is traumatic. But there are a couple of steps you need to take immediately to ensure your best interest.

Why Is Seeking Immediate Medical Care After a Car Crash Important?

Whether you were involved in a head-on collision, were wearing your seat belt, or were struck by external objects during the crash, it’s important to seek immediate medical care. Even if you seem uninjured, undergoing a complete medical evaluation is the only way to tell the extent of your injuries.

Although broken legs and fractures of facial bones may seem apparent, other injuries, including internal bleeding, are not easily detected at first glance. Even a broken bone can be missed with initial imaging.

After an accurate diagnosis to determine your condition, you start the healing process and the bone begins to heal. Typically, broken bones in the body will take up to two months or longer to heal completely.

Why Is Seeking Legal Representation Important?

You may not immediately think about legal representation following a traumatic experience such as a broken bone in an accident. But many traffic incidents are due to negligence on the other driver's part, and you may be eligible for compensation.

Healing from injuries takes a significant amount of time in many cases. Most fractures require 6-8 weeks of rest and immobilization to heal.

Taking Time to Heal

Your surgeon may also instruct you to avoid placing any weight on the affected joint for 6-8 weeks. Due to weight-bearing restrictions, you may be out of work while you heal from your injuries.

But bills never stop. You need someone on your side to ensure those bills get paid and that you get the compensation you deserve.

Although you may be offered a settlement following an accident, you could be entitled to more than the original offer. Having a personal injury attorney on your side means you have a powerful and experienced advocate.

How Can A Personal Injury Lawyer Help You?

One of the ways a lawyer can help after a crash is by investigating all aspects of the incident. A lawyer can assemble a team of experts skilled in accident reconstruction to ensure an accurate picture of the events as they unfolded.

A full investigation helps identify all responsible parties. Without a complete list of responsible parties, you may not get full compensation for fractures received in the incident.

Another way a personal injury lawyer can help is by advocating for you with insurance companies. These companies are notorious for invalidating claims and handing out settlements for much less than victims of accidents deserve.

A lawyer pieces together the puzzle and helps you understand your legal options.

An experienced personal injury lawyer provides you peace of mind during arguably one of the worst times of your life. They can accurately estimate projected medical costs as part of fair compensation and even deal with medical debt collectors for you.

Advocate For Your Rights With the Right Team

Whether you sustain a comminuted fracture, facial fractures, or stress fractures in a car accident, you need someone you can trust. You need experience, and an advocate to guide you through the complex world of insurance company adjusters, lost wages, and medical expenses.

With Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, you get a team that has recovered over $250 million for their clients. You get a team that goes to bat for their clients and wins. And you get peace of mind knowing that you can focus on your recovery instead of stressing over lost wages and debt collectors.

Your journey toward peace of mind starts by contacting our law firm today for a free initial evaluation regarding your case.

Resources:

• Cleveland Clinic: Comminuted Fracture
• Integrity Spine Ortho: Car Accident Broken Bones