Car accidents in Sarasota and throughout Florida can be violent, causing serious injury and death. While some wrecks produce catastrophic and fatal injuries, most accidents that occur cause other types of injuries, such as broken bones. Any bone in the human body can break in a car crash. However, there are some types of fractures that seem to be more common in collisions.
Five Types of Fractures That Commonly Occur in Florida Auto Accidents
- Femur fractures – known as the thigh bone, the femur is the strongest and largest bone in the body. It requires a great amount of force to break the femur. The femur is long and has several locations where a fracture could take place. Types of femur fractures include a femoral shaft fracture, a hip fracture, femoral neck fracture and intertrochanteric hip fracture.
- Tibia and fibula fractures – the lower leg is a common area that sustains injuries to the tibia (shinbone) and fibula (the smaller, thinner bone on the outside of the leg between the knee and ankle). Many victims of car accidents who fracture one of these bones also suffer a fracture to the other bone as well.
- Pelvic fractures – serious, high-impact accidents can cause pelvic fractures that can actually be life-threatening. seat belts pulled tightly across a person’s hip and waist during a violent car crash can cause a pelvic fracture.
- Shoulder fractures – the shoulder region is often injured in a crash due to the impact involved. Shoulder injuries include scapula fractures, collarbone fractures (also known as clavicle fractures) and humerus fractures.
- Spinal fractures – typically occur in high-velocity crashes. Fractures of the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae run the risk of also damaging the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries can cause nerve damage, reduce mobility and cause of loss of function.
Most of these broken bones can be repaired, often requiring surgery with metal plates and screws. Sometimes fractures can cause a person a lifetime of pain and limited mobility. Many victims spend months recovering and need to be compensated accordingly. Typically, victims cannot work or even care for themselves with these types of fractures, all while they are incurring mounting medical bills. Truthfully, broken bones can cause people financial hardship.
If you have suffered broken bones in a crash, call Mallard Perez for help pursuing a Florida personal injury claim and make sure you get maximum compensation. To speak with an experienced Sarasota accident attorney to find out about your rights, call 888-409-3805 for a free consultation.