Some of the most common injuries that people suffer in accidents are broken bones. Although they can range from stress fractures to compound breaks, broken bones are, nevertheless, often debilitating injuries that can keep you from living your life as you once did.
Below, you’ll learn more about the most common types of fractures and what accidents may cause them. If you’ve suffered such an injury in an accident that someone else is responsible for, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim.
What Are Bone Fractures?
A broken bone — or bone fracture — is the result of a significant amount of force being placed on the associated body part, compromising its structure. These injuries are typically the result of accidents, but they can also arise due to repetitive use.
There are two general classifications of fractures — complete and incomplete breaks — that vary depending on whether the bone fractures fully or not. If the bone pierces through the skin, you have an open or compound break. The opposite would be an example of a closed or simple break.
More specifically, a common type of broken bone injury is called a greenstick fracture, which occurs when part of the bone breaks but the rest bends. These fractures typically occur in larger bones, like those in the upper arms and thighs.
There are also transverse breaks, which occur when the fracture is perpendicular to the bone’s axis. Additionally, there are comminuted fractures, in which the bone fractures into many small parts. Lastly, a spiral break is one in which the break takes the eponymous shape around the bone, typically as a result of twisting injuries.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Broken Bones?
One of the most common causes of bone fractures is traffic accidents. Car accidents and truck accidents, as well as motorcycle collisions and pedestrian crashes, can all involve your body hitting a surface hard enough to result in fractures.
Slip and fall accidents are another reason these injuries occur, seeing as they can cause you to land awkwardly. It’s common for people to try to break their fall with their hands, leading to broken wrists or forearms. If you instead land on your back, you can fracture some of your spinal vertebrae, which can result in serious mobility issues.
Workplace accidents are another common cause of fractures. If you work in the construction or warehousing industry, you frequently come into contact with several types of heavy machinery. These can cause struck-by accidents that could leave you facing all manner of serious fractures.
Your tasks at work can also lead you to get stress fractures from repetitive motions. If you have to jump, run, or perform similar actions, it’s possible to slowly wear away at the bones involved.
How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim After a Broken Bone?
If an accident results in a broken bone, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to receive compensation, but in order to do so successfully, you must demonstrate that the other party was negligent. That means showing that the other party owed you a duty of care that they did not live up to and that their conduct caused your fractures.
For example, if you fell in a store because the property owner didn’t repair a patch of damaged flooring, you can hold them liable. Property owners and managers have a responsibility to keep the premises reasonably safe, so if they knew of the danger and did nothing to fix it, they breached their duty of care to you.
By filing a claim, you have a chance to recover economic and non-economic damages. The former damages compensate you for financial losses you sustained, including medical expenses. You can receive help for any future care you will need, as well as for modifications you need to make to your car or home.
Furthermore, as part of economic damages, you can also claim lost wages. You’ll likely need to miss work while your bone heals, and that means losing out on potential income. Economic damages cover such losses.
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, compensate you for the physical and emotional distress you experience because of the accident, such as your pain and suffering. If you can’t live your life as you used to because of your broken bone, you can also claim a loss of enjoyment of life.
Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
After suffering broken bones in an accident, filing a claim for compensation can help you receive the assistance you deserve. And in order to have the best possible chance of succeeding, you should hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you.
At Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers, our team of Illinois attorneys provides the ongoing legal support you need as you navigate the claims process. We have decades of experience that we can put to work on your behalf. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at (312) 635-5400 with one of our Chicago personal injury attorneys.