Getting hurt in a car accident can be a serious inconvenience, especially when it happens on the way to work, school, or an important meeting. When you get severely injured by the negligence of another, it can be more than just an inconvenience, it can be life changing. Injuries can range from whiplash to permanent paralysis, and sadly, in some cases death. Broken bones and fractures are just some of the most serious injuries that our Long Island auto accident lawyers tend to see.
How do Car Wrecks Cause Broken Bones?
There are many ways that people can experience a fracture. A fracture occurs when a bone is compromised and “breaks” in some way. Common types of broken bones range from minor stress fractures to serious and life-threatening compound fractures. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) explains that trauma is one of the leading causes of fractures. This can include things like auto accidents, sports injuries, and falls.
When an external force (like another vehicle), impacts your vehicle, the inertia creates a rapid and violent jerking motion back and forth within your vehicle. Consider the straightforward example of a head-on collision. Your vehicle is moving at 35 miles per hour. So are you. When your vehicle collides with the other object, both vehicles abruptly come to a stop. You, however, keep moving. So, your body is thrown at 35 miles per hour forward, your arms and legs thrust forward, and your head and neck jerk forward, then backward, in split moment. This jerking action can cause fractures to your bones.
Similarly, if the other vehicle or some outside object pushes in on the compartment of your vehicle, your arms and legs can be bent and trapped, causing a twisting motion that breaks the bones. These are often the most serious fractures because they can create an open or compound fracture, where the bone pushes through the skin. These can also result in serious blood loss if the sharp, broken bone severs blood vessels.
How Serious are Broken Bones, and do They Heal?
Fractures are always serious. However, in many cases they can lead to long-term complications that can last a lifetime. While your doctor may be able to help you recover, the broken bone will always show evidence of the fracture. According to Merck, broken bones can lead to many complications, including nerve damage, blood vessel problems, and arthritis. Here are just a few examples of permanent complications:
- Infections: Our bodies are not meant to be open to exposure from bacteria. Fractures can leave us susceptible to infections, which themselves have added complications and risks
- Deformity: Although a fracture may heal, it may do so imperfectly. There may be a permanent change in angle or a slight deviation that is not noticeable to others. In some cases, it can leave an obvious deformity.
- Joint and muscle pain: After a fracture, most people experience at least some level of ongoing discomfort for years, if not for the remainder of their lives.
If You Suffer Broken Bones in an Car Accident, Speak to Our Long Island Auto Accident Attorneys Immediately
Insurance companies downplay injuries and look for ways to blame the victim. Adjusters may tell you that they will pay for the hospital bill and the cast, but after that you should be fine. Do not take their word for it. The insurance company will not have to live with the pain and future cost of medical expenses, pain management, or the difficult physical therapy, but you probably will.
Contact the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP 24/7 at (516) 358-6900 for a free case evaluation. Ask questions; get answers. If you have been seriously injured, then you deserve compensation for your injuries. Never settle with the insurance company until you have talked to an attorney.
Photo Credit: (c) Can Stock Photo / GeorgeRudy
