Humans have 206 bones in the body, and almost any one of them can break in an accident. Fractures are a common traumatic injury. Although some people think fractures are somewhat minor, we have seen many clients struggle with life-changing complications. Anyone who suffers a fracture should seek financial compensation to help them recover and make up for their pain.
Call Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C., if you were injured in an accident. Our Waterloo personal injury lawyer can analyze the strength of your legal claim based on what you know. From offices in Waterloo and Iowa City, we serve the entire state of Iowa and can come meet you at home, where circumstances allow.
Bone Infections
Fractures can lead to osteomyelitis, which is a bone infection. Children are most at risk of developing this infection in the long bones of their arms and legs. Adults tend to suffer osteomyelitis in the hips, spine, or feet.
Once infected, other problems can cascade:
- Bone death. The infection will disrupt circulation in the bone, leading to its death.
- Septic arthritis. The infection can spread to a nearby joint.
- Skin cancer. Sometimes osteomyelitis can create an open sore, which turns into skin cancer.
- Slower growth. When children develop osteomyelitis, the affected bone can stop growing. This creates many problems, especially if one leg stops growing but the other doesn’t.
Surgery is often required to remove the dead bone, and antibiotics can treat the infection. Osteomyelitis is a serious complication, so head to the hospital if you develop a fever or pain after breaking a bone.
Excessive Bleeding
Some bones are located near veins and arteries, and once the bone is fractured, it can slice into these soft tissues, leading to excessive bleeding. On its own, a minimal amount of bleeding is not that serious. However, excessive buildup of blood can cut off circulation to some parts of your body, leading to compartment syndrome and tissue death.
Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis
Any arthritis in the joints can immediately reduce a person’s quality of life. Pain, stiffness, and inflammation make it harder for people to enjoy normal activities. Over time, a person could be confined to a wheelchair due to increased pain.
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis develops because of an injury. Usually, arthritis develops slowly over the years as the cartilage in a joint wears away. But serious traumatic injuries can also cause pain and stiffness in a joint. About 5 million people will suffer post-traumatic arthritis. Treatment usually consists of physical therapy and bracing, as well as medication. The good news is that post-traumatic osteoarthritis can often heal, so this might be temporary. But other accident victims can suffer from arthritis for the remainder of their lives.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a major complication when people break one or more ribs, especially the elderly. The pain caused by a rib fracture prohibits deep breathing and leads to respiratory complications. A person cannot cough and clear secretions which then build up in the lungs. Pneumonia is one of the most serious complications a person can suffer.
According to one study, the mortality rate for elderly patients with a rib fracture is twice that of younger patients. In fact, one rib fracture in a 90-year-old creates nearly as much risk as eight fractures in someone who is 40.
Treating rib fractures is difficult regardless of age. But the risks of a serious negative outcome climb with older patients.
Malunion
A bone must be set properly after breaking. Unfortunately, if your doctor was careless, then the bone fragments could fuse together improperly. This is called malunion. Often, you need to break the bone to reset it, which doubles the pain and inconvenience.
Malunion is also aesthetically unpleasing. Imagine a person’ nose bone is broken and not set properly. Now they have a nose which is crooked. That type of injury can lead to mental distress and anxiety.
Nerve Damage
Nerves typically travel very closely to the largest bones in the body. Consequently, a fracture can result in a bone fragment cutting or severing a healthy nerve. Injured victims can struggle with pain and weakness in the affected limb. A surgeon might try to repair the nerve so that it doesn’t die.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak (Skull Fracture)
The skull plays a critical role in protecting the brain. However, a skull fracture can lead to the leaking of cerebrospinal fluid, called a CSF Leak.
This fluid surrounds the brain and the spinal cord, providing protection and cushion. The fluid is what keeps your brain from dragging across the inside of your skull when you shake your head. Any leakage can lead to serious problems, including air entering the skull.
Go to the hospital if you notice fluid draining from your ear or nostril—it might be cerebrospinal fluid. Other symptoms of a CSF leak include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and hearing or vision changes.
We Can Seek Compensation for Your Fracture
At Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C., our personal injury lawyers have brought many claims on behalf of clients struggling with broken bones. Our clients suffer fractures in different types of accidents:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slip and falls
- Workplace accidents
You deserve compensation to cover all medical care, including setting the bone and dealing with any complications. These injuries also cause considerable pain and mental distress, and you can receive damages for these non-economic losses.
Never let an insurance adjuster tell you that a fracture is a minor injury. You should be made whole when someone negligently or recklessly injures you. An experienced attorney is an excellent asset for helping you document all the complications with your fracture.
Call Us to Schedule a Consultation
Our firm is always available to help Iowa accident victims. Ready to learn more? Call us to speak with an attorney. We are willing to travel to you, if necessary, to discuss your accident and how we charge for our legal services. Our firm has won millions of dollars in settlements and court awards. As always, we remain available for our clients 24/7.