(215) 569-0200 
Philadelphia Broken Bone Injury Lawyer
One of the most common injuries sustained in car accidents is a fracture or broken bone. While some broken bone injuries heal relatively easily, more complex fractures can require surgery, months of recovery and still leave you with physical pain and limitations.
In these circumstances, it is critical that you work with an experienced Philadelphia broken bone injury lawyer to obtain the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free consultation today by calling (215) 569-0200 or messaging us online.
Why Choose Rosenbaum & Associates?
- We are highly experienced in pursuing compensation for fractures and broken bones and will aggressively fight for you.
- We have over 30 years of experience and we have successfully recovered over $100,000,000 for our clients.
- We have the resources necessary to build a solid case to ensure the at-fault party is held accountable.
- We take fractures and broken bone injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe legal fees if we don’t win.
Why You Need a Lawyer
When it comes to compensation for car accident claims, Pennsylvania’s rule of modified comparative negligence will be applied when determining the amount of damages you’re entitled to recover. Under this law, you cannot recover compensation if you are 51% or more at fault for your accident, and any percentage of liability below 51% will lower your payment.
To avoid a situation where your compensation is unfairly reduced or eliminated, you need an experienced lawyer on your side.
Insurance companies are for-profit businesses that often place fault on victims to avoid or lower their payments on valid claims. Working with a Philadelphia broken bone injury attorney that can build a strong case on your behalf can help minimize the amount of fault attributed to your actions in the accident and maximize your settlement.
Most Susceptible Bones To Be Broken After A Car Accident
Any bone in the body can essentially be fractured or broken as a result of a car accident, but some of the most commonly susceptible bones include:
- Vertebrae in the spine
- Neckbones
- The femur
- The collarbone
- The pelvis
- Ribs
- Bones in the sternum
- Bones in the skull
- Bones in the neck
- Bones in the ankles
The crash’s impact typically causes the breaks or fractures by the body being thrown or hit with external objects. Surgery or a cast is often required to facilitate healing. You may also require prescription medications, physical therapy, and other ongoing treatment to cope with the damage. In severe cases, victims will face a lifetime of pain and impairment.
Other Common Causes of Broken Bones
Car accidents and falls are the most common causes of fractures, but other common causes include sports and outdoor entertainment like skiing, snowboarding, and skating. Fractures in the elderly sometimes result from nursing home falls, while children most commonly break bones on playground equipment. Motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents are also common causes of broken bones.
Negligence plays a role in many broken bone injuries. For instance, if a child suffers a serious fracture at school, it’s often due to inadequate playground monitoring or faulty equipment. If an elderly nursing home resident breaks a hip in a fall, the nursing home may be at fault for failing to remove fall risks, or properly monitor residents.
Types of Bone Fractures
Age and disease increase the risk of bone fractures but broken bones can occur at any age, including birth injury in newborns. The medical community divides fractures into the following categories depending on the type of injury.
Complete Fractures:
When the force of an accident or violent blow causes the bone to break completely and separate into two pieces.
Greenstick Fractures:
These occur when a bone bends, splinters, or cracks rather than breaking cleanly. Consider what happens when you try to snap a twig that’s still green and doesn’t break cleanly. These fractures are most common in children.
Displaced Fractures:
These occur when the bone breaks into pieces and the force of the blow causes the pieces to move out of alignment.
Closed Fractures:
The bones break but do not pierce the skin.
Open Fractures:
The sharp or splintered ends of the bone pierce the skin and cause an open wound.
Comminuted Fracture:
In this type of fracture, the bone breaks in three or more places or becomes crushed.
Stress Fractures:
Hairline cracks that aren’t as immediately detectable as a full break but are painful and require lengthy recovery times during which the injury victim has limited mobility.
Complications of Broken Bones
Some broken bones break cleanly and heal easily with no lasting consequences. However, sometimes fractures cause complications such as the following:
- Blood loss from sharp bones piercing the skin or nearby muscles and tendons
- Internal organ damage (such as a broken rib piercing a lung)
- Reduced mobility
- Depression, withdrawal, and cognitive decline in the elderly
- Stunted bone growth in children, particularly in breaks of the long bone close to the growth plates near the joint
- Serious physical and emotional impacts on the elderly
Hip fractures in the elderly can have dangerous and even deadly consequences including infected bedsores, muscle atrophy, pneumonia, and mental deterioration following surgery.
What to Do After a Broken Bone Injury
Broken bones are usually quickly identifiable, with symptoms including intense pain, a visibly mishappen limb or joint, swelling, and bruising. If you suspect you’ve broken a bone due to someone else’s negligence, like a car accident caused by a careless driver or a slip-and-fall accident caused by a wet floor in a convenience store, taking specific steps can help protect your physical and financial future. After suffering a broken bone in a preventable accident, take the following steps:
- First, move to a safe location if you’re able to move safely without causing further injury
- Call 911 to request emergency services
- Use your phone to photograph the cause of the injury, whether it’s the damaged cars after a car accident, or the cause of a slip-and-fall accident
- Photograph any visible signs of injury
- Add the contact information of involved parties and any eyewitnesses
Go directly to the hospital from the accident scene and obtain a detailed medical report of your injury. Call the Philadelphia broken bone lawyers at Rosenbaum Injury Law before speaking to insurance representatives.
What Can I Pursue Compensation For After A Bone Injury?
When another driver’s negligence is responsible for your fracture or broken bone injury, you have the right to pursue compensation for your:
- Medical costs, including your past, current, and future bills
- Income lost during your recovery period
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and psychological harm
- Scarring or disfigurement as a result of the fracture
- Physical limitations as a result of the fracture
- Loss of earning capacity as a result of physical limitations
- Disability, disfigurement, and the inability to lead a normal life
If the at-fault party’s actions were extremely reckless (e.g., drunk driving), you may be entitled to punitive damages, which is compensation awarded with the intention to punish the defendant.