Broken Bones Following a Denver Pedestrian Accident
Broken bones can occur as a result of a pedestrian accident through the impact with a motor vehicle or upon hitting the ground if the force is strong enough. Unfortunately, individuals with these injuries could potentially suffer from permanent disabilities depending on their age and how badly their bones were damaged as a result.
However, know that it is possible to recover compensation for broken bones following a Denver pedestrian accident if that collision occurred due to the negligence of the driver. Read on to learn more about how a professional injury attorney could assist you throughout the damage recovery process today.
Severity of Bone Breaks
While having any broken bones following a Denver pedestrian accident is less than ideal, bone fractures can range in severity. The severity of a bone break or a fracture is going to depend on the force that caused it to break. There are two different common types of fractures. A stable fracture is when broken ends of the bone line up and they are barely out of place. That is a lot easier to heal-type of fracture.
An open compound fracture usually occurs in which the skin is pierced by the bone or by a blow that breaks the skin at the time of the fracture and the bone may or may not be visible in the wound but bone fragments are sticking out through the skin and the wound penetrates down to the broken bone. That is a much more severe type of fracture than stable one. There are other types of fractures as well, like compression fractures, epiphyseal fractures, and, greenstick fractures.
Compression Fractures
Compression fractures are a crushing-type of fracture. With compression fractures, there are fractures of the vertebrae, in the spine, spiral twisting fractures. Those usually result from sports injuries and are less severe because there is not really an impact that happens, it is more of a movement that causes it. There is not a force involved.
Epiphyseal Fractures
An epiphyseal fracture occurs when there is a separation from the plates; there can be cartilage cells dying and, in that case, it is more difficult to heal. When cartilage cells die, then it is more difficult for everything to heal. A depressed fracture is when the bone is pressed inwards, and that occurs in terms of a skull fracture when something is pushed in the skull, and that is a severe type of fracture because that can’t really be fixed. It can heal, but it might not.
Greenstick Fractures
A greenstick fracture occurs where there is an incomplete break so only one side breaks and the other just bends, and those are not as severe as some of the other ones or even a complete break. A comminuted fracture is where the bone shatters into three or more pieces and that is usually severe fracture; that usually requires some type of hardware to keep it all together. Yes, there are a lot of types of fractures.
Loss of Income
Broken bones could lead to a loss of income during one’s recovery if they are unable to perform their normal job duties as a result of their injuries. This could be due to the physical nature of their work or because they underwent surgery and need a required amount of bedrest. Because Colorado is an at-will state, an employer can terminate an employee for any reason. Unfortunately, this means that a worker could potentially lose their job if they are unable to perform their regular duties for a significant period of time. However, a dedicated injury attorney could assist an employee in recovering those lost wages through a settlement or litigation process against the driver at fault.
Medical Costs
The most significant losses an individual will incur with broken bones following a Denver pedestrian accident is their medical costs. Some who suffers a bone fracture is likely going to need to be carried in an ambulance to the ER following their accident, which can mean a hefty bill. A lot of times, these fractures are going to require expensive surgery to recover. A physician could also prescribe therapy sessions and an assistive device such as a wheelchair or crutches in order help a patient’s mobility. The severity of an injury will ultimately determine the amount of these costs, and how much compensation an individual may be able to recover with the help of a compassionate lawyer on their side.
The Impact of Pain
Pain due to broken bones following a Denver pedestrian accident can add to a major loss of one’s enjoyment of life and may be quite impactful depending on how long that pain will last. Many patients will suffer depression once experiencing a bout of extreme pain, and that type of illness may require its own treatment program. To deal with the pain, individuals will often be prescribed opioids which could potentially lead to an opioid dependence and drug problem in the future if they are not given in the right dosages.
Importance of a Compassionate Injury Attorney
Unfortunately, it is common for a pedestrian to suffer a broken bone if they are directly impacted by a motor vehicle, even if the car is traveling at a relatively low speed. Those with very brittle bones are particularly at risk. Whether a driver was speeding or driving a very large vehicle, these injuries tend to occur often simply because a pedestrian does not have any protection at all in the face of an accident. If you wish to recover compensation for your broken bones following a Denver pedestrian accident, do not hesitate to reach out to a professional attorney today to fight for your deserved coverage.