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Common Bone Fractures After an Accident

February 26, 2018

Everyone knows that Austin roads have become increasingly dangerous and prone to car accidents. With the constant construction, influx of people from out of town and generally congested roadways accidents are becoming a regular occurrence in our city.

Car accidents can leave you with significant injuries. Even a seemingly minor car accident can cause a painful case of whiplash or neck and back pain. Sometimes, though, a car accident can leave you with major injuries, including broken bones. There is a great deal of force involved in a car accident and often the body cannot absorb it. This can lead to broken bones. There are several different types of breaks and fractures that we often see associated with car accident injuries and they are very painful and traumatic and can significantly impact your quality of life.

A compression fracture is a spinal injury that involves one or more vertebrae. They weaken, the bone fractures or cracks, and the injured bone may even crumble or break. Common causes of this type of injury include a slip and fall as well as a car accident. The elderly are often considered at high-risk for this type of injury because the spine weakens as a person ages. However, it is one of the most common injuries related to car accidents for people of all ages.

While the most common symptoms of compression fractures include pain and a hunched posture, some patients experience little to no symptoms at all. Because some people experience only nagging pain after an accident, or assume that it will go away over time, it is critically important to be seen by a doctor promptly so they can perform a thorough examination and an x-ray or MRI. Treatment for these types of injuries typically includes medication for pain, physical therapy, and in some cases surgery may be necessary to fully recover.

The human leg has four bones: the femur (thighbone), the patella (knee cap), and the tibia and fibula (lower leg and shin). The ankle is usually considered to be part of the foot. It is not uncommon for one or more of these bones to fracture or break as the result of a car accident due to the tremendous force being applied to the body or the body colliding with the interior of your car. Breaking your femur, tibia, or fibula is very painful, and you may have great difficulty walking or greatly impaired mobility. If you have cracked one of your bones or have a minor fracture, your mobility may not be impacted as much, but you will experience constant pain. Fractures are usually diagnosed by x-ray, but an MRI may be used. In the case of a severe compound fracture where the bone has penetrated the skin, an x-ray is not needed for diagnosis, but may be done to further assess the damage.

Many car accident cases don’t go all the way to a jury trial.  However, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, then taking your case to trial may be the right course of action to get you the best result. An experienced accident lawyer knows how to weigh out whether a case could get a better result in court, they know how to navigate the complexities of the court system, and they understand the laws surrounding car accident cases.

Some of the factors to be considered are the extent of the injuries, the property damage, past and future medical treatment, loss of earnings, and ability to work in the future.  The accident report will be reviewed, liability assessed, the property damaged will be examined, witness statements will be gathered, depositions of experts may be taken, accident reconstructionists may be called in and life care planners and vocational experts may be hired to attest to the severity and significance of the accident and injuries. A well established personal injury firm like The Cagle Law Firm has the means and resources to assemble a coordinated team of experts to participate in your case.

The amount of any car wreck settlement is determined by several different factors, and every case is different. Broken bones in the leg and spine can leave long lasting effects. Sometimes the patient never returns to 100% function. Any injury that is so severe that the patient will never be the same will typically command a higher settlement value. A car accident that resulted in a broken tibia and fibula may leave the patient with permanent range of motion and mobility problems. These long-lasting injuries so severely affect a person’s quality of life that expert witnesses should be consulted to determine what damages the person may continue to suffer into the future, even after having their current medical care needs met.  For example, a person that has been forced to have a surgery to fix a broken bone may have medical bills in the thousands of dollars, and a six figure settlement should be expected to account for that person’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and physical impairment. However, an experienced Austin accident lawyer will know that their client will continue to suffer damages into the future.

In cases like these, a vocational expert and economists may be hired to determine the lost earning capacity the client will suffer over the course of their work-life.  Also, a medical doctor or a life care planning expert may be retained to testify as to the future medical care that the person will require to manage complications that will arise from the original injury.  Retaining experts like these pushes the settlement value of a case to the mid to high six figures ($500,000.00 plus) and even into the millions.

If you have suffered broken bones or other injuries following a car, truck, or 18-wheeler accident, you need experienced and knowledgeable personal injury lawyers fighting for you. The attorneys at the CPM Injury Law, P.C. have handled every type of personal injury claim and have litigated cases against some of the biggest corporations in the world. There is no case that is too big or too small.

At CPM Injury Law, P.C., we treat our clients the way we would want to be treated. You will never be just a case number and your case will always be handled by a lawyer.  Call CPM Injury Law, P.C. Today for a free legal consultation

CPM Injury Law, P.C. provides individuals injured through someone else’s negligence personally tailored legal services. Learn about your legal rights and resources below.Call (512) 371-6101 for a free consultation.