Pittsburgh Broken Bones and Fractures Attorney
Helping accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve for broken bone injuries
The adult human body has 206 bones. Any one of those bones can break in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident. Hip fractures are a common slip-and-fall injury. Oilfield extraction accidents and many other accidents often cause broken arms, legs, hands, feet, and other broken body parts. At Carmody and Ging, Injury & Accident Lawyers, we have the experience and working relationships with surgeons, orthopedists, ER doctors, family doctors, and other medical professionals to show how accidents happen, who is responsible for them, and how severe your injuries are. We work to obtain the full compensation you deserve.
Call us now to discuss your right to compensation after any accident that causes one or multiple fractures.
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What would you like to know?
- What types of accidents cause broken bones?
- What are the different types of broken bones?
- How do doctors diagnose broken bones?
- What are the treatments for broken bones in Pittsburgh?
- What complications can arise if an accident victim breaks a bone?
- What compensation can I receive if an accident causes a broken bone in Pittsburgh?
- Do you have a Pittsburgh broken bone lawyer near me?
What types of accidents cause broken bones?
Any forceful impact can cause a broken bone, depending on the point of the impact. At Carmody and Ging, Injury & Accident Lawyers, we handle the following types of accidents and negligence that can cause a broken bone:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Accidents involving children
- Construction accidents
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Medical malpractice
- Negligent security assaults
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Train accidents
- Warehouse accidents
- Other types of accidents
Depending on how and where the injury occurred, we may pursue third-party personal injury claims or workers' compensation claims.
What are the different types of broken bones?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a broken bone is also called a bone fracture. Fractures are generally categorized by their pattern, how they occurred, and whether they are open or closed:
Pattern fractures
- Bones that break in a straight line. These fractures include transverse fractures and oblique fractures.
- Bones that don’t break evenly. These fractures include Greenstick fractures, comminuted fractures, segmental fractures, and spiral fractures.
Fractures due to how the break(s) occur:
- Stress fractures. These fractures involve a small crack in one of your bones.
- Avulsion fracture. “A piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament pulls away from the main part of the bone.”
- Buckle fracture. “Sudden pressure (usually from falling) squeezes a child’s bone out of place.”
- Compression fracture. These fractures involve extra pressure on the bones of your spine that makes them break and collapse.
Open and closed fractures.
- An open fracture means that your bone breaks through your skin. Another name for an open fracture is a compound fracture. Open fractures take longer to heal and carry an increased risk of infection.
- A closed fracture. These fractures involve broken bones that do not push through your skin.
Another bone break classification is displaced and non-displaced fractures. “A displaced fracture means the pieces of your bone moved so much that a gap formed around the fracture when your bone broke.” These breaks often require surgery. With a non-displaced fracture, your broken bones are still in alignment.
What are the treatments for broken bones in Pittsburgh?
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or other hospitals may apply one or more of the following treatments, depending on the type of fracture, the cause, and the severity of the damage:
- Immobilization. This treatment involves using a cast or splint to hold your bone in place while the bone heals. Splint treatments last for about three to five weeks. Casts often require six to eight weeks of usage.
- Closed reduction. This nonsurgical procedure is used for more severe breaks to help realign (set) your bone.
- Bone fracture surgery. Your orthopedist will, if your break is too severe, often use an open reduction and internal fixation surgery. This procedure involves “fasteners like rods, pins, plates, wires, and screws” that are inserted into the pieces of your bone to hold them together. These fasteners may stay inside your body permanently.
- External fixation. This procedure helps to stabilize a broken bone so that you can have an internal fixation surgery. “Your surgeon will put screws in your bone on either side of the fracture inside your body. Then, they’ll connect them to a brace or bracket around the bone, outside your body.”
- Joint replacement. In some cases, your surgeon may need to replace part or all of your natural joint with artificial replacement parts.
- Bone grafts. If your fracture is severely displaced or your bone doesn’t heal properly, a surgeon will insert donor bone tissue to rejoin your fractured bone. The surgeon usually will then perform an internal fixation “to hold the pieces together while your bone regrows.”
Patients may need physical therapy to help them regain the function of the affected bone.
What complications can arise if an accident victim breaks a bone?
Possible complications include:
- Malunion. A malunion is a broken bone that healed in the wrong position.
- Nonunion. A nonunion is a fracture that has failed to heal.
- Bone infections (more common with open fractures)
- Compartment syndrome in the muscles around your broken bone
Fractures can also affect your nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels, as well as other tissues.
Most, but not all, accident victims with fractures make a full recovery. Some victims will have a permanent impairment.
What compensation can I receive if an accident causes a broken bone in Pittsburgh?
At Carmody and Ging, Injury & Accident Lawyers, we work with your doctors to understand the full scope and severity of your broken bone injuries, including necessary treatments, possible complications, and permanent impairments. We also work with your employers and other experts to determine your financial damages and your personal damages.
We seek compensation for all your current and future damages, including:
- Medical bills. These include emergency transport (such as ambulances), ER care, hospital stays, doctor visits, assistive devices, and medications.
- Lost income. This includes wages, business income, salary, and benefits – for as long as you cannot work.
- Pain and suffering. This damage category includes all your physical trauma and emotional suffering. Note that pain and suffering may be recoverable in a third-party personal injury claim, but it is not available in a Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claim.
- Other damages. These may include:
- Property damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of bodily function
- The inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
- The loss of consortium (marital comfort and intimacy)
Do you have a Pittsburgh broken bone lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet new clients at our office located at Deutschtown Center, 801 Vinial Street, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Our attorneys also consult with clients by phone, through online video, and away from the office (if necessary).
We’re ready to answer your questions and guide you through this stressful time.
Call our experienced Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers today
Broken bones hurt. They limit your ability to move. They may affect your ability to work, sleep, and function. At Carmody and Ging, Injury & Accident Lawyers, we have nearly 60 years of combined experience fighting for personal injury victims. We can work to maximize your recovery. Please call us or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
