When accidents happen, drivers and passengers often experience serious injuries, such as broken bones. Bone fractures can cause many different types of complications that may take considerable time to heal. Our San Bernardino auto accident attorneys at LA Century Law can assist with pursuing a broken bone car accident settlement so our clients receive fair compensation for their injuries.
Most Common Broken Bones During a Car Accident
No two car accidents occur in the same way or cause the same damage, but broken bones are among the most common injuries sustained in a collision. During a crash, some bones tend to fracture more often due to the position of people in the vehicle, the velocity of the collision, and the thickness and health of the bone. Examples include:
- Clavicle
- Ankle and femur
- Ribs
- Pelvis
- Spine/vertebrae
While other bones in the body may also break during a car accident, there are a variety of circumstances that affect how hard the impact is to both drivers and passengers’ skeletal systems.
Accident Causes and Broken Bone Correlations
When our attorneys examine cases for broken bone compensation, they may note that the type of fracture the client received often depends on the circumstances of the accident. Reviewing the different types of fractures allows our attorneys to create a detailed timeline that supports evidence offered by the victims and eyewitnesses during a trial.
Wrist and ulna bone fractures
In the seconds before an accident, drivers and passengers may instinctively tense their bodies to brace for the impact. Drivers, in particular, may suffer wrist and ulna fractures because of the position of their hands and arms during the moment of impact. High-impact crashes may result in multiple fractures of these forearm bones.
Femur fractures
Many broken bone car accident settlements involve femur fractures. The femur, or thigh bone, often suffers one or more fractures if the vehicle’s exterior structure fails during an accident or if an individual’s leg becomes pinned. Femur fractures can take considerable time to heal due to the thickness of the bone.
Skull fractures
Sometimes, a settlement for a broken bone in a car accident includes a skull fracture, which can cause life-threatening injuries. The skull houses the brain, and when a skull fracture occurs from striking the head on the interior of the car, such as the steering wheel, it can harm the brain as well. Open skull fractures, where a piece of the skull shatters, may require emergency surgery to protect the brain.
The Cost of Broken Bones in a Crash
When broken bones require setting, or in the case of compound fractures where the bone pierces the skin and the wound requires stitches, the cost of care can range into the thousands of dollars. While simple fractures may heal within a month or so, depending on the severity and location of the injury, some breaks can take months of treatment and specialized care.
Upon arrival at a medical facility, car accident victims with broken bones must undergo a variety of treatment services such as X-rays, MRI scans, wound cleansing and closing, and cast settings. They may also receive pain medication and require future physical therapy if they experience multiple breaks or if the injury affects their mobility. Our attorneys examine each case closely and assign value to the injuries and medical costs incurred by the accident so our clients receive fair compensation.
How Our Attorneys Build a Case for Broken Bone Compensation
When individuals suffer a broken bone during a car accident and believe the driver of the other car caused the incident, our attorneys use a variety of information to build a compensation case.
California is an at-fault state, which means that the people (or, in some cases, a company or other entity) at fault must pay for any losses incurred on the part of the injured party.
Car wrecks are often the result of negligent driving behaviors, including:
- Texting or talking on a cell phone while driving
- Eating or drinking
- Drunk or buzzed driving
- Speeding or horseplay that results in an accident
Our attorneys use police reports, accident scene photos, insurance records, and witness accounts to connect these actions to how the wreck occurred. For example, if the police report photos include a driver’s cell phone that features an unfinished text at the time of the accident, this supports the supposition that the at-fault driver was using the phone in an unsafe or negligent manner.
The Benefits of Legal Representation for Car Accident Victims
When people experience broken bones due to a car accident that was the fault of another, they may not know where to turn when medical bills arrive. In many cases, broken bones prevent those injured from returning to work for weeks or even months.
At LA Century Law, our experienced attorneys provide a variety of benefits for those injured, including fielding settlement offers from the defendant’s insurance company, tracking down witnesses, and collecting medical reports. Our services allow victims like you to focus on your needs and the rest to recover from a broken bone.
We Handle Broken Bone Car Accident Settlements
Our attorneys at LA Century Law understand the pain and suffering broken bones cause in the aftermath of a car accident. Contact our injury lawyers in San Bernardino today for a free consultation and further information.