Types of Broken Bone Injury Victims

Every year millions of Americans suffer from fractured bones. Most of these injuries occur from accidents, falls or the negligence of others. In many of these instances, insurance companies and negligent parties may be able to provide you with compensation for your injuries. You have the right to seek legal assistance to help defray medical bills, compensate for pain and suffering and provide for lost potential income.

The cost of bone injuries can climb into millions depending on your circumstances, such as treatment and lost income. To help defray these costs, severe bone fracture victims can often get large compensation settlements.

Broken Foot/Ankle Injury Victims

Most people take our feet and ankles for granted, but they are one of most complex parts of the body. The enormous pressure on the feet makes fractures (cracked or broken) bones common.

Numerous injuries are possible:

· The feet have series of bones called metatarsals that are prone to fractures.

· The heel absorbs enormous pressure, making cracked and fractured heels common. For example, a trimalleolar fracture involves a fracture of 3 ankle bones.

· The thin ankles have to support the bodies weight while twisting and being under enormous pressure.
· Toes are susceptible to being injured are commonly broken (how many times have you jammed your toe or had it stepped on?).

Sprained Ankles

Sprained ankles are not broken bones per se, but result from torn tendons typically from an uneven walkway. Sometimes, a sprain is just an awkward moment when you lose your balance with pain that quickly fades away and you go on your way. But the sprain could be more severe; your ankle might swell and it might hurt too much to stand on it. If it is a severe sprain, you might have felt a "pop" when the injury happened.

Owners of property with foot traffic have a legal requirement to keep the walkway safe and free from danger. If you sustained your injury from a poorly maintained walkway, you may be entitled to legal compensation.

Broken Leg Injury Victims

Most people take our legs for granted, but they are one of most complex parts of the body. The enormous pressure on the knees and the length of the leg bones (the longest bones in the body) makes fractured bones common. Numerous injuries are possible:

· The femur is the longest bone in the body and is often broken in serious accidents. It has series of bones called metatarsals that are prone to fractures.

· The tibia (the shin bone) has very little protective muscle and fat over it and is directly exposed. The result is that the shin bone is commonly broken. A tibia plateau fracture is a break on the top of the tibia bone where it meets the knee cap.

· The knees contain cartilage and the knees often have to sustain strong twisting forces.  

Broken Rib Injury Victims

The rib cage protects the vital organs of the body. Broken ribs often involve a very severe accident. Rib injuries can be painful because they limit movement and sitting. Often rib injuries are compounded by damage to the internal organs the rib protects, and as a result they can be very painful. People with rib injuries should be aware of coughing blood, which may indicate a lung injury or any other signs of internal organ injuries, such as nausea or vomiting.

With treatment, the injury can heal within a few months. You should avoid strenuous activity and be careful not to bump your ribs. You should be careful of lung infections and take deep breaths a few times a day to help keep the lungs free of infection. To help relieve pain, apply a heated pad and consider using a whirlpool. Consult your doctor for more specific information for your injury.

Shoulder Injury Victims

The shoulder consists of several bones including the clavicle (collar bone), scapula (shoulder blade). The humerus, the long bone of the upper arm, connects to the ball and socket shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is a series of tendons in the shoulder joint.  

Broken Clavicle (Collar Bone)

Your clavicle bone or “collar bone” connects the scapula bone in your shoulder to your sternum in your chest. Its function is to hold the shoulder upward and backward.

Clavicle fractures are among the most common bone injuries. A break in the clavicle bone is usually always a closed fracture that normally takes about 6 weeks to heal in an adult. Accidents such as falls against the shoulder or on an outstretched hand are the most common cause of fractures of the clavicle. Sometimes, a blow from a blunt object or a collision of some sort can cause the clavicle to break.

Broken Scapula (Shoulder Bone)

The scapula, otherwise known as the shoulder blade, provides the rear wall and roof of the shoulder joint. An extremely strong bone surrounded by muscle and soft tissue, the scapula is not often broken; broken scapulas represent less than 1 percent of all fractures in the body. Breaks occur most often in men aged 35 to 45. As it is most often caused by an extremely strong blow, a broken scapula often accompanies other ailments, such as broken ribs, skull, or collarbone, a bruised or collapsed lung, and injury to the nerves between the shoulder and neck.

Arm Injury Victims

In the arm bones (the humerus, radius, and ulna), a fracture most often occurs in the long and slender midsection (the "shaft") of the bone. The humerus is the long upper bone (show broken in the picture on the right) and the radius and ulna are the two forearm bones below the elbow.

A broken arm will be accompanied by swelling, pain and limited motion. Very severe arm injuries involve compound fractures where the bone breaks through the skin.

Broken arms often involve a very severe accident. Arm injuries can be painful because they limit movement and sitting. With treatment, the injury can usually heal within a few months with a proper setting from the doctor (older patients may require a much longer healing time). You should avoid strenuous activity and be careful not to bump your arms. Consult your doctor for more specific information for your injury.

Hand & Wrist Injury Victims

In today’s society, our hands could well be one of the most important parts of our body. Whether it be for typing on a computer, writing or opening a door, we use our hands for nearly everything we do. This is why hand injuries can have tremendous economic costs and legal representation may be necessary to recoup your lost income and provide for pain and suffering.

The hands and wrist are composed of a series of small bones that are susceptible to fracturing. These small bones can be easily broken if the weight of the entire body falls upon them. Common fractures include:

· Scaphoid and Colles Fracture: These are wrist fractures caused by falling and may be difficult to diagnose

· Metacarpal Fracture: These are broken hand bones. The metacarpals are the small bones in the hand.

· Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Although we think of this as being caused by repeated computer use, carpal tunnel syndrome can also be cause by a strong and sudden impact on the hand, such as an air bag deploying. The tendons in the wrist expand and cause pain or numbness in the hand.

· Broken Fingers: The finger bones are fragile and easily broken. These injuries may come from a variety of injuries from car accidents to falls.

Legal Help for Broken Bone Victims

Legal compensation for any of the above broken bone injuries can be very high because most of the bones and mentioned body functions are vital for everyday activities. If you have a break one or more bones, you might not be able to go to work or function normally in everyday activities. In addition, the pain and suffering that results from broken bone injuries can be enormous.

The cost of bone injuries can overwhelm a family depending on your circumstances, such as treatment and lost income. To help defray these costs, severe bone fracture victims can often get settlements of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Examples

· If you were injured in a car accident, your insurance company or that of the other driver may be able to provide compensation.

· Injuries at Work may entail workers compensation or you may have to file a lawsuit. This will depend on how and where the injury occurred.

· Falls are often related to work, construction or defective products (sometimes ladders). In many of these instances you may be entitled to legal compensation.

· Sports-related accidents often are related to diving, football and other sports-related accidents. In many of these cases, legal compensation may be available depending on the circumstances and negligence.