Broken Bones After a Car Accident in Queens, NY
The blunt force impact that occurs in a car accident frequently causes broken bones. Some bone fractures require surgery to repair. Some broken bones never heal completely. The complications caused by broken bone injuries can forever change a car accident victim’s life.
If you have suffered a broken bone or other serious injuries in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Queens, NY, you may have a right to seek significant compensation. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses and losses.
Automobile owners in New York are required to have Personal Injury Protection insurance to pay their medical bills and those of their passengers after a collision, regardless of who was at fault. After you have exhausted your PIP insurance, then you may be entitled to sue the driver who caused the accident if your injuries are serious. Bone fractures qualify as serious injuries under New York insurance law.
At The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., we know that a serious injury that involves broken bones can cause significant challenges. We can review your case and answer your questions about pursuing a broken claim injury claim for the unnecessary ordeal you have had to endure. You will not owe The Tadchiev Law Firm a legal fee unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us today by phone or online to schedule a free legal consultation.
We serve clients across New York, including Nassau County, New York City, Long Island, and Floral Park.
Why Choose The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C. To Deal with Broken Bones Injuries
It’s a mistake to try to handle a significant car accident claim on your own. Our Queens car accident lawyers can help you seek justice if someone else’s negligence has left you injured in the following ways:
- Valuing your car accident claim– Many people simply accept the initial insurance payout offered after a car accident, assuming it is all that the insurer will pay. Our car accident attorneys will calculate the full extent of your losses and seek a settlement that covers all your expenses and losses.
- Answering your questions – A car accident lawyer can answer your questions about your claim and how to move forward. Our attorneys know New York personal injury law and have successfully handled many car accident claims in NYC. Let our car accident attorneys handle the paperwork, negotiations, and court filings required with your injury claim.
- Providing professional legal representation – If the responsible parties will not provide the compensation you deserve, we will be prepared to file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf. An experienced personal injury attorney can present a solid case for a judge or jury to order payment to you.
Understanding Fracture Injuries After a Car Accident
Occupants of vehicles involved in car accidents suffer the impact of the initial collision and a secondary impact as they are slammed against airbags, seatbelts, or the internal surfaces of the vehicle, such as the dashboard or steering column. Sometimes, people are ejected from the vehicle.
These types of trauma in car accidents commonly cause broken bones or fractures.
What To Do About Broken Bones in a Car Accident
After a car accident, if you experience pain, deformity, or lack of mobility that is symptomatic of a broken bone, you should get medical attention as soon as possible. Lack of treatment can cause the bones to heal badly. This could lead to continuing pain, loss of mobility, or other complications.
To protect your rights after a car accident in Queens, NY, you should:
- Contact the police and emergency medical services.
- Photograph the accident scene, including the vehicles involved.
- Collect contact information from witnesses, including passengers in your vehicle.
- Report the accident to your auto insurance carrier.
- Avoid discussing the accident on social media.
- Contact a Queens car accident attorney.
How Much Compensation Can You Get in a Broken Bones Accident Claim?
The amount of compensation you may seek depends on the complexity of the broken bone injury you suffer. You may be treated in a hospital emergency room, or you may be admitted for more extensive care, possibly including surgery. You may lose time at work.
If someone else was responsible for the car accident, a car accident lawyer can help you seek full compensation for your losses, including money for:
- Medical expenses for treating your injuries and for managing them in the future
- Lost wages, as well as for any loss of future earnings due to your injury
- Property damage, including repair or replacement of your vehicle and other personal items
- Pain and suffering that your injuries have caused you.
Symptoms of a Broken Bone
An accident victim should seek medical attention for a possible fracture if they suffer:
- Intense pain or tenderness.
- Swelling, bruising.
- A broken arm or leg may lose its natural shape.
- Numbness and tingling
- Loss of mobility or function of the injured body part.
Types of Broken Bones
An X-ray may diagnose one of the following types of bone fractures:
- Greenstick or hairline fracture — An incomplete fracture causing a bent and cracked bone. Greenstick fractures are more commonly diagnosed in children with under-developed and more flexible bones.
- Stable fracture — The ends of the broken bone line up barely out of place.
- Segmental fracture — A bone breaks in two places, resulting in an unattached piece of bone.
- Avulsion fracture — A piece of the bone breaks off inside the body. This typically occurs in a fracture near a joint.
- Comminuted fracture — The bone shatters into three or more pieces.
- Compression fracture — The crushed bone takes on a wider, flatter appearance.
- Compound or open fracture — A piece of the broken bone protrudes through the skin.
Most Common Fractures After a Car Accident
The most commonly broken bones in a car accident are:
- Fibula (lower leg), femur (upper leg), and patella (kneecap)
- Humerus (upper arm), radius, and ulna (lower arm)
- Spinal vertebrae
- Pelvic bone
- Clavicle (top of the rib cage)
- Sternum (breastbone)
- Ribs
- Skull fractures
- Facial bones.
Treating Broken Bones
If a bone is not severely broken, a doctor will set it and apply a cast or brace to immobilize it so it can heal. Younger people with simple fractures usually heal in six to eight weeks. However, complex fractures and broken bones in older adults do not heal as quickly or as completely.
A more serious fracture may require surgery to insert pins, screws, or rods to set the broken bone.
When multiple bones are broken or a large bone, such as the fibula in the leg, has been severely fractured, doctors may use a system of weights known as traction to slowly realign the bones. It requires the patient to remain bedridden for several weeks.
Complications from Broken Bone Injuries
Most people who break a bone regain the use of the injured body part, though recovery may include surgery and physical therapy. Typically, surgery is required for such complications as:
- Nerve injury — The trauma that fractures a bone near a nerve bundle can destroy the nerve bundle as well, resulting in pain, numbness, and other problems.
- Blood vessel injury — Veins or arteries can be damaged in an accident that breaks a bone. This can be life-threatening if the blow that breaks a leg also damages the femoral artery or its major branches.
- Nonunion — A broken bone may not heal completely at the jagged ends of the break. This can lead to infection and decreased blood flow.
- Osteomyelitis — Compound fractures, in which the bone protrudes from the skin, expose the bone to the environment and make the patient susceptible to infection. This can lead to serious infections of the bone or bone marrow.
- Osteoarthritis — In accidents that crush bones into multiple pieces, the degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone may develop, causing continual pain.
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome — This is pain that can last long after a broken arm or leg has healed. Treatment aims to restore movement and function to the broken limb.
In addition, rib fractures may be accompanied by pneumothorax (collapsed lung), flail chest (restricting the chest’s ability to expand), and other potentially serious respiratory problems.
Schedule a Free Case Review with Our Experienced Car Accident Attorneys
If you have suffered one or more bone fractures in a car accident in Queens, NY, a car crash lawyer at The Tadchiev Law Firm can help you obtain full compensation for your losses. Our attorneys have a reputation as effective advocates for injured people. Our law firm will provide you with personalized legal services as we pursue compensation for your losses. Our goal is to deliver the personalized attention and service that you deserve as we work to maximize the compensation you recover.
We charge no fees unless we win for you. From start to finish, our attorneys will deliver the personalized service and knowledgeable legal guidance that you deserve. For your free case review, call us today or reach out online.