Rhode Island Personal Injury Lawyer
by Slepkow Law

Bone fractures and broken bones caused by a Rhode Island motor vehicle accident can be serious, lifelong injuries that require ongoing medical attention and significant time to heal. In fact, individuals suffering serious fractures caused by a RI vehicle accident usually require multiple operations including reconstructive surgery or installed hardware to secure broken bones. This is because the impact during the Warwick, Cranston or Woonsocket accident likely caused compression, contortion or extension of the spinal column and bones throughout the body.

Fractured bone
Fractured and broken bone caused by car accident

Fractures – Broken bones

Broken bones caused by a Providence car accident can leave victims with lifelong disability. Common types of bone injuries and fractures include:

• Back Fracture and Herniated Discs – When the spinal column is injured, it often causes lifelong issues such as sciatica where the nerve is pinched, producing extensive pain down the entire leg.
• Skull and Facial Fractures – A skull fracture is the most typical type of brain injury from a severe impact during a vehicle accident. Victims can suffer facial fractures that can cause significant vision issues or broken jaws and noses leaving the individual with severe nerve damage and disfigurement.
• Fibula and Tibia Fractures – Broken ankles and broken legs often leaves victims mobility-challenged where one leg is significantly shorter in length compared to the other after healing
• Femur Fractures – Even though the femur is considered the body strongest bone, it can easily break upon a severe impact in a vehicle accident. The healing process usually requires extensive surgery and a lengthy recovery time. Femur fractures tend to be extremely painful and can involve serious complications where one leg might heal shorter than the other.
• Rib Fractures – It can be extremely painful when a rib is fractured from impact in an automobile accident. Often times, the victim is unable to breathe properly, laugh or move about without pain. A fractured rib is not often diagnosed immediately, which can leave the victim feeling severe pain for days or weeks after the accident.
• Pelvis and Hip Fracture – Victims of automobile accidents often suffer hip and pelvis fractures, leaving them mobility-challenged and unable to move about without use of a wheelchair. In many scenarios, the surgeon will install a titanium or steel implant to provide support to broken bones during the healing process.
• Clavicle Fracture – When the collarbone breaks during an automobile accident, the victim usually feels extensive pain and limited mobility of the shoulder and arm for many months.
• Wrist Fracture – Many victims react during a violent impact of a car accident by reaching out to stop movement during the collision, which can cause their wrist to fracture. The healing process for a broken wrist can take many months and often requires numerous pins to hold the broken bones in place. Victims are often left with limited wrist motion due to complications after healing.

Financial Compensation in a RI automobile crash

Typically, filing a claim for compensation for bone injury caused by the negligent actions of another involves complex Rhode Island personal injury tort law. To ensure adequate compensation, the victim should avoid signing paperwork or documents agreeing to any out-of-court settlement without first discussing the case with a reputable East providence personal injury attorney. Through legal representation, your rights can be protected to ensure you fight aggressively for the money owed for your injuries.

Medical Bills

Personal injury law firms in Rhode Island that specialize in broken bone vehicle accident claims offer a free initial consultation to discuss the value and merits of your case. The RI car accident attorney can provide a variety of legal options to win your claim so you have adequate funds to pay off your existing medical bills and recover your lost earnings due to missed work along with compensation for your pain, suffering, mental anguish and distress.

The NCBI reported: “From 1973 to 1996, 15,559 car accidents were analyzed. Two hundred sixty-one front seat occupants sustained fractures of the foot and ankle (ankle, 41 percent; forefoot, 29 percent; midfoot, 20 percent; and hindfoot, 10 percent). Seventy-five percent of the fractures were classified abbreviated injury scale(foot) 2. The incidence, location, and abbreviated injury scale(foot) category of fractures were similar between driver (n = 210) and front seat passenger (n = 51). Fifty percent of the fractures occurred in head-on collisions and 34 percent occurred in accidents with multiple collisions. The deltav ranged in 82 percent of car crashes between fifteen and sixty kilometers per hour. The deltav and extent of foot compartment deformation correlated with the abbreviated injury scale. During our investigation, deltav increased; the injury severity score decreased; and the extent of deformation did not differ significantly. Although overall car passenger safety has improved, the relative incidence of foot and ankle fractures has increased. Comparing drivers and front seat passengers, the foot pedals, steering wheel, or the asymmetric design of the dashboard did not influence injury incidence, mechanism, or severity. Foot fractures are mainly caused by the foot compartment deformation in head-on collisions, and therefore improvements in foot compartments are essential for fracture prevention.”  NCBI 

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