NYC Bone Injury Lawyers

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Suffered a Bone Injury in New York?

If you or a loved one has suffered a bone injury during an accident caused by another person or group’s reckless actions, you may have legal rights and options in your recovery. To learn more about your potential case in a free consultation, call the skilled New York personal injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP by dialing (212) 986-7353.

Recovering from a broken bone can take weeks or months, requiring costly medical care in order to avoid continued health problems.

When most people think of "bone injuries," they think immediately of broken or fractured bones. Broken bones are one of the most common types of bone injuries, but they are not the only injuries the human skeleton can suffer. At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we know that many bone injuries can cause long-term or even permanent disabilities, and in some severe cases, bone injuries can be fatal.

An adult human has 206 bones; children may have over 300, depending on the stage of their development. As a child grows, bones fuse together into their final forms, and the development of a child’s bones can provide significant insight into the age of a child. Whether a child or adult, a human being’s bones can be broken or injured at any stage of life.

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Fractured Bones

A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. Bone fractures are the most common types of skeletal injuries. Most people will fracture at least one bone in a lifetime, although many minor fractures may go unnoticed or undiagnosed.

Fractures are more likely and become more severe as people age, taking longer to heal and posing greater risks to the person’s overall health. Fractured bones in elderly individuals can lead to serious complications. Types of fractures include:

• Stable fractures occur when the ends of the bone line up and they are only slightly out of place.
• Open or compound fractures occur when there is an open wound or break in the skin near the break, causing risk of swelling or infection.
• A transverse fracture occurs when the fracture line is perpendicular to the bone.
• An oblique fracture occurs when the bone is broken at an angle.
• A spiral fracture occurs when a bone is broken with a twisting motion.
• An avulsion fracture occurs when trauma causes a tendon or ligament to detach from the bone.
• An impact fracture occurs when the broken ends of the bone are jammed together.
• A hairline fracture, also known as a stress fracture, is a small crack in the bone.

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Types of Accidents That Cause Bones to Fracture

A broken bone is one of the most likely consequences when you suffer from an accident that creates some sort of collision. This happens because more force is applied to a bone than it can absorb.

High impact automobile accidents are the some of the most harmful accidents, but bones can also break when a low amount of force is applied at a vulnerable spot. Bones are particularly susceptible to breaking when twisted. They can also break as the result of long-term repetitive motion. Some common types of events that cause bones to fracture include:

• Car accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Defective product injuries
• Motorcycle accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Building collapses
• Explosions

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Joint Dislocation

A joint dislocation occurs when the bones that normally align within a joint separate or slip out of alignment, causing the joint to stop functioning properly. Many joint dislocations also cause significant pain, along with damage to the cartilage, ligaments, and tendons surrounding the joint. While many joint dislocations can be fully repaired with prompt and proper medical care, others may cause lingering problems with joint mobility and strength, requiring the patient to receive ongoing medical treatment or to move carefully for months or even years after the initial injury.

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Joint Replacements

When a joint has been severely damaged – either due to an injury or because of an illness like arthritis – a joint replacement surgery may be required to replace part of or the entire joint. While joint replacements have been touted as a way to restore mobility and regain a measure of independence, many joint replacement surgeries have caused more complications than they have resolved. In many cases, a joint replacement device was later recalled after studies showed the devices posed an unreasonable risk of bone damage, heavy metal poisoning, and other serious conditions due to failing while in a patient’s body.

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Degenerative or Damaged Discs

The spine consists of a stack of bones called "vertebrae," which are separated by cartilage known as "discs." The discs cushion the vertebrae and allow the spine to move and twist while still protecting the spinal cord, the bundle of nerves inside the spine connecting the various parts of the body and the brain. When a fall or other injury damages the spine, the discs may suffer the most damage.

In any injury, a victim may suffer temporary or permanent disabilities affecting any and all parts of the body. Repairing damaged, degenerative, or herniated discs may require surgery, and patients may suffer lingering pain and other symptoms even after the best possible treatment has been tried. Discs may also degenerate over time due to age or lack of use, making spine injuries more likely to cause serious problems in older or sedentary patients.

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What Are Treatment Options for a Bone Injury?

If you suffer a bone injury, medical treatment is necessary to determine the severity of the injury and to assess the body for any other ailments. Injuries to ligaments, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and blood vessels may also occur at the time of the bone fracture.

A full recovery may take between a few weeks and a few months, depending on the location of the injury and the age and health of the injured person. In many cases, a splint or cast may be applied to help aid in the recovery of the bone. This keeps the ends of the bone in a secure location and helps the bone mend itself. Muscles in the injured area may weaken as a result of the lack of movement while in a cast, splint, or sling. Physical therapy may be one course of treatment following a broken bone. This type of treatment typically starts while the patient is still in the cast or splint.

In serious bone injuries surgery may be necessary. If the fractured bone is out of alignment your doctor may need to realign the bone, which is also called “reduction.” There are two ways that reduction can be done, which are:

• Closed reduction is completed without surgery. This type of reduction is the more common choice.
• Open reduction requires surgery. During the procedure the surgeon may add pins, plates, or screws to the affected bone to straighten and strengthen it.

Traction is one method of repairing a severe bone injury. In this situation the bone endures tension using a pulley system with weights. The treatments of bone fractures differ depending on many factors, including severity, location, and age. The costs for physical therapy and treatments may be very expensive.

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NY Bone Injury Lawyers Providing Legal Help in Your Recovery Process

If you or a loved one sustained broken bones as the result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you have the right to hold them responsible for your losses and receive compensation to pay for your past and future needs. The process may be difficult, but success may be possible with the help of a skilled New York bone injury attorney at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP. Start off your case right with a call to (212) 986-7353 and receive a FREE consultation concerning your injuries.

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Additional Information

• Pelvic Injuries Following a Motorcycle Accident
• Broken Bone Injuries Commonly Suffered in New York City Car Accidents
• Fractures - Medline Plus
• Fractures (Broken Bones) - OrthoInfo - AAOS