A broken bone is a common injury following a car accident. A broken bone can leave you injured, perhaps unable to work and make a living. You may be in constant pain and may feel as though you are drowning in medical expenses. If you should find yourself in such an untenable situation because of an accident caused by a negligent driver, you need experienced legal assistance. Insurance companies often attempt to speak to an injured person quickly after the accident, offering a pitifully low – but quick – settlement amount.

It can be extremely tempting to take such an offer but remember; you likely do not know the full extent of your injuries just yet. You do not know how long you will be off work or if your injury could leave you with a lifetime of pain. Until you have the answers to these questions and have spoken to a knowledgeable St. Louis broken bone attorney, accepting an initial settlement offer is never a good idea. Once you accept an offer, there are no do-overs, and you could find yourself facing an extended period of time away from work with no paycheck and medical bills you cannot pay.

Overview of Finney Injury Law

When you choose Finney Injury Law, you can be sure you have chosen a firm with experience, knowledge, skill, and a stellar reputation. Our attorneys, Chris Finney and Alex Ledbetter, have been successfully helping people just like you who have found themselves in similar situations for many, many years.

When you are in pain and dealing with injuries, the last thing you want to do is deal with a recalcitrant insurance company that is offering you a fraction of what your claim is worth. We will take that worry completely off your plate, allowing you to do what you need to be doing in the aftermath of a car accident – healing. Our firm’s many resources will help you with every aspect of your broken bone injury after a car accident.

How Can a Car Accident Cause a Broken Bone Injury?

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of broken bones. The bone will break when the force exerted on a human bone is stronger than it can bear. Since the body absorbs a significant impact during a collision, broken bones occurring during a car accident are common.  An individual may be ejected from a vehicle during a collision and strike a fixed object – including pavement – breaking a bone or bones.

A crushing weight on top of a body part or even being struck by the vehicle’s airbag can break a bone, as can reaching forward to brace for impact. If your car accident is a side-impact accident, the force of the other vehicle striking your door can break a leg, arm, rib, or other bone. Even your shoulder or lap restraint – meant to keep you safe – can sometimes break a collarbone, arm bone, or pelvis bone if your vehicle is struck with sufficient force.

What Are Common Broken Bone Injuries Following an Accident?

Every car accident and every person is unique in some way, so there is no absolutely “typical” broken bone scenario. There are, however, some broken bones that occur more often in a car collision.  If you wonder why there are so many broken bones resulting from car accidents, consider that an adult wearing a seat belt and weighing 175 pounds in a car going only 25 mph crashes with an equivalent of being hit with 2.785 tons of bricks. The most common broken bones from a car accident include:

  • Pelvic bone breaks often happen in motorcycle accidents but can also happen in car accidents.
  • Rear-end and head-on accidents tend to have the most force exerted by an airbag or seat restraint, causing breaks to the back and neck. Spinal fractures are the most serious and can sometimes lead to paralysis or death.
  • Lower leg (fibula) and upper leg (femur) bones are very common in a car accident, even though these bones are very strong.
  • The clavicle, which goes across the top of your rib cage, is often fractured in car accidents as it is the most fragile bone in your entire body.
  • Skull fractures are very dangerous as they can sometimes lead to brain damage. Skull fractures usually occur when the victim hits his or her head on the steering wheel, window, or dashboard. Facial bones (nose, jaw, orbital bones around the eyes, and cheekbones) can be broken in the same manner as a skull fracture but can also break when an airbag strikes the face.
  • The ribs and breastbone are typically sturdy as they must protect the heart, lungs, and gut. The violent force of a car accident can result in these bones breaking; when the body is violently thrust forward, the safety belt can also result in breaks to the breastbone and ribs.
  • Arm bones can be broken when a person is thrown from the car, when the airbag hits an arm with sufficient force, or when struck from the side.

There are many different types of bone breaks. An avulsion occurs at the point where the tendons and ligaments separate from the bone. A buckle usually occurs in young children; the bone bends or buckles rather than breaking. Stress fractures are similar to buckle fractures but different in that one side of the bone bends or buckles while the other side fractures. An oblique fracture runs diagonally, usually when the bone is pinched into place and then twisted.

A compound fracture occurs when the bone comes through the skin, and a comminuted fracture means the bone is broken in at least three pieces as the result of a significant force. A transverse fracture breaks the bone into two pieces, usually at a right angle. While a hairline fracture is a small break, the victim may not realize it is broken, causing the fracture to fracture further.

How Can an Attorney Help You Following an Accident That Results in Broken Bone Injuries?

Some injured victims may not think their broken bone is all that serious and believe they will make a full recovery. This is not always the case. Unfortunately, many car accidents cause those with broken bones from the injury to lose range of motion or suffer from chronic stiffness and pain long after the initial injury has healed. More serious fractures can result in complications, long-term impairments, and a life filled with constant pain. St. Louis car accident victims need an experienced broken bone injury lawyer to help them obtain the settlement they need and deserve. It is important that you understand the complications and long-term complications you could have from a car accident. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your car accident, if you were injured because of another driver’s negligence, you are entitled to damages, including:

  • Medical expenses, current and future to pay for doctors, surgeons, hospital expenses, and rehabilitative therapies.
  • Lost wages for time away from work because of the accident.
  • Future lost wages if your injuries are so severe that you may be unable to return to work for many months, years, or forever.
  • Pain and suffering damages for actual physical pain as well as for emotional pain and trauma.

How a Broken Bone Injury Lawyer from Finney Injury Law Can Help

Finney Injury Law’s extensive resources can help you with every aspect of your St. Louis car accident. We are compassionate, dedicated, and highly respected in the industry. Facing a car accident that has left you injured, confused, and unsure of what you need to do next to safeguard your health and your future can be difficult. When you choose Finney Injury Law, we will be a strong advocate, allowing you to focus on healing while we focus on fighting to make sure you are fully compensated for your injuries. Contact Finney Injury Law today.