A broken bone is more than just a painful inconvenience. It can pull you out of work, result in constant medical bills, and leave you struggling with basic tasks. Some cases just involve a few weeks of rest and recovery. Other patients require surgery, therapy, and hardware implants — and they face a long, slow path to get back to normal.
How Broken Bones Can Disrupt Your Life
When a person breaks a bone, the true impact of their injury may not show up until the following weeks and months. A fractured wrist, for example, can keep a tradesperson off the job. A broken leg might mean missed school, canceled plans, or complete dependence on others for help.
Broken bones also create layers of financial strain. There’s the ER visit, follow-up doctor appointments, imaging tests, physical therapy, and possibly surgery. If the break is complicated, recovery can stretch out for several months. And when the person can’t go back to work in the same capacity (or even at all), the lack of income makes everything harder.
The Most Common Causes of Broken Bones In Oklahoma City
Broken bones show up in a wide variety of accidents. In Oklahoma City, several scenarios tend to come up repeatedly.
Car accidents are a major cause. When two vehicles collide, especially at high speeds, passengers and drivers often suffer broken ribs, arms, legs, and facial bones. Pedestrians and cyclists who are hit by cars are even more vulnerable. Crashes that involve commercial vehicles can be even more devastating.
Falls can also lead to broken bones. Uneven sidewalks, icy entryways, wet aisles in the grocery store — any of these can send someone crashing to the ground. Elderly adults and young children are especially at risk since their bone density is different from that of the average healthy adult.
A lot of people get hurt at work, too. Falls from ladders, accidents with heavy equipment, and getting hit by heavy objects can easily cause bones to break. Some of these cases overlap with workers’ compensation, but others involve third-party claims.
Types Of Fractures That Can Affect A Case
Not all broken bones are treated the same — medically or legally. Some fractures heal quickly with a cast and rest, but others leave permanent damage. Types of fractures that often come up in legal claims include:
- Displaced: The bone breaks in two or more places and shifts out of alignment, often requiring surgery.
- Comminuted: The bone shatters into three or more pieces, is difficult to fix, and usually needs longer recovery times.
- Compound: The bone pierces the skin, increasing the risk of infection and potentially leading to multiple surgeries.
- Growth Plate: Seen in children and teens, these breaks can affect future bone development if they are not treated properly.
The more complicated the break, the more likely it is to cause serious complications, require extended care, and leave a lasting impact. Insurance companies tend to overlook (or downplay) this when evaluating a claim.
Long-Term Effects Aren’t Always Obvious
While many bone breaks heal cleanly, just as many people are left with chronic pain, mobility problems, and nerve damage. Joints can lose a range of motion. Screws and plates can create discomfort long after the injury occurs.
There’s also an emotional toll. Recovery can be isolating when victims miss major life events, get hit with bills they can’t pay, or lose the ability to enjoy things they once loved, like playing with their kids or going for a run.
Those losses are real. They matter, and they should be factored into any injury claim.
What You Can Be Compensated For
When someone else’s careless behavior causes your bone fracture, you may have grounds to recover more than just your ER bill. A claim can include:
- Medical Costs: hospital visits, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, follow-ups
- Lost Wages: missed work, reduced hours, changes in employment
- Pain and Suffering: physical pain and emotional distress
- Future Expenses: ongoing care or surgeries you may need down the road
- Loss of Enjoyment: being unable to do the things you used to love
A personal injury claim is meant to support you and help you get back on your feet, both literally and financially. Knowing what you can be compensated for is important so you’re not left footing the bill for someone else’s negligence.
Don’t Let Insurance Downplay Your Injury
Insurance adjusters love to call broken bones “simple injuries.” They’ll offer quick settlements in the hopes that you’ll take the money before you realize the full cost of your claim. However, these cases aren’t simple. Not when they affect your health, income, and future.
If you’ve suffered a bone fracture in an accident someone else caused, you have every right to demand compensation that actually reflects what you have been through.
Contact an Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured in Oklahoma City by someone else’s behavior, Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers is ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact our Oklahoma City personal injury lawyers today at (405) 497-0480 to schedule a free consultation.