Broken bones and fractures can prevent you from working, caring for your family, and enjoying your routine. Broken bone injuries need prompt and proper treatment. Otherwise, you risk permanent limited mobility, deformity, and nerve damage.
If your broken bones were caused by someone else’s negligence, you could seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses. But navigating insurance claims or a personal injury lawsuit on your own is challenging.
Our Atlanta broken bones injury lawyers at Butler Kahn hope you find this page helpful. We encourage you to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions as you recover. If you have questions about getting money for your injuries, please contact us for a free consultation.
What Are Common Accidents That Cause Broken Bones?
Any type of impact, force, or trauma to the body can cause broken bones. Our personal injury attorneys handle many types of accidents that can cause bone fractures, such as:
- Car accidents – The impact from a car crash often causes fractures, particularly to the face, legs, ribs, and arms.
- Truck accidents – The additional weight and force from accidents involving commercial trucks can increase the severity of broken bones.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle riders and passengers face a greater risk of extensive broken bones due to the lack of protection on a bike.
- Bicycle accidents – When a bike and a motor vehicle collide, the bicycle rider often ends up with bone fractures in different parts of their body.
- Boat accidents – Boating accidents can result in broken bones after trauma due to rough waters or a collision with another vessel.
- Pedestrian accidents – A pedestrian struck by a vehicle may suffer from broken bones anywhere their body was hit.
- Slip and fall accidents – Falls are a common cause of broken bones, whether from slipping on a wet surface or falling down stairs.
- Workplace accidents – Workers in industries like construction and manufacturing are at high risk for broken bones due to falls, machinery accidents, and heavy lifting accidents.
What Are the Different Types of Broken Bone Injuries from Accidents?
Bone fractures range from simple to severe. They are often classified based on how and where the bone breaks, such as:
- Simple fractures – These bone injuries are the most common fractures, occurring when the bone breaks but doesn’t pierce the skin.
- Hairline fractures – Also known as stress fractures, hairline fractures are tiny but painful breaks.
- Compression fractures – Compression fractures occur when a bone is crushed or compressed due to trauma or a fall.
- Comminuted fractures – When a bone breaks into many pieces, it’s called a comminuted fracture.
- Open fractures – These occur when the broken bone pierces the skin, increasing the risk of infection and complicating the healing process.
- Displaced fractures – With displaced fractures, the broken bone fragments are no longer aligned and usually require surgery.
- Oblique fractures – Oblique fractures are diagonal breaks across the bone.
- Stable fractures – Stable fractures are simple breaks where the two broken pieces of bone line up evenly.
- Transverse fractures – These fractures are horizontal across the bone.
What Medical Treatment Is Used for Broken Bones?
Treatment for a broken bone depends on several factors, including the location and severity of the fracture and the patient’s age and overall health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, here are some of the most common medical treatments used for broken bones:
- Surgery – In some cases, surgery may be necessary to repair a broken bone. Plates, screws, or rods may be used to hold the bone in place as it heals.
- Immobilization – Immobilization involves keeping the affected area still and preventing further movement so the bone can heal. A cast, brace, or splint can immobilize the broken bone.
- Reduction – Displaced bones are out of alignment. Your doctor may need to reposition the bone, called a reduction.
- Medications – Pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help manage pain from a broken bone. In some cases, stronger prescription pain medications may be necessary.
- Rehabilitation – After a broken bone has healed, rehabilitation may be necessary to restore the affected area’s strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Physical therapy, exercises, or other forms of rehabilitation may be needed.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Broken Bone Injuries?
Generally, someone who is negligent can be held liable for accidents that result in broken bones. Who might be responsible for your broken bone injuries depends on the accident and the circumstances of your case. For example, at-fault parties may include:
- A negligent driver who ran a red light and crashed into your car, motorcycle, or bicycle and injured you
- A store manager who failed to repair a broken step, causing you to trip and fall
- A third-party vendor who ignored safety regulations and caused a workplace accident
What Compensation Can I Get for My Injuries?
A broken bone accident can result in a painful, drawn-out recovery. At Butler Kahn, our injury attorneys believe you should not have to pay because of another person’s negligent or thoughtless acts.
We could pursue compensation on your behalf for:
- Current and future medical care, including hospital stays, medication, and rehabilitation
- Medical equipment, like crutches
- Lost pay
- Lower earning capacity due to injury
- Pain and suffering
What If I Was Partly Responsible for the Accident That Caused My Injuries?
Georgia law allows you to pursue compensation for an accident even if you played a role in causing your injuries. You may seek compensation if you are less than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, any compensation you are awarded will be reduced based on your amount of fault.
Is There a Deadline for Filing an Injury Lawsuit in Georgia?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to file an injury lawsuit in Georgia. However, you might have less time depending on the specifics of your case. You should speak to a broken bones injury attorney as soon as possible to ensure you have plenty of time to exercise your legal options.
Contact an Atlanta Broken Bones Injury Lawyer
The Atlanta bone injury lawyers of Butler Kahn have been helping injured Georgia residents get the compensation they need after they were injured for years. If you are here because you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, we hope you are recovering well and getting the medical care you need. Hopefully, the information on this page has been helpful. If you want to discuss your situation, please call or contact us online. There is no charge to talk with us about your case.
