Your auto accident left you in a cast for two months, but the recovery process for a broken arm may be longer than you expected. Depending on the severity of the fracture, you might even be left with permanent damage. The worst part? The accident wasn’t your fault, and now you’re left with an injury and medical bills that are burdensome.
If you’ve broken your arm in a car accident, you could be entitled to a settlement. Many factors will determine your ability to collect compensation for your injury. A broken arm claim may be worth between a few thousand dollars and upwards of $90,000 – or potentially even more, if the damage costs you the ability to support yourself and your family. You should speak with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as you can after your accident to see if you are eligible to file a claim.
Can You Fracture an Arm in a Car Accident?
Absolutely. Upper extremity fractures, or UEFs, are very common in car accidents, resulting in about 17.9% of the fractures that occur in auto crashes. The bones of the arm, the humerus, radius, and ulna are frequently fractured due to impact and bracing.
Types of Arm Breaks Caused by Car Crashes
Arm breaks from car crashes generally fall into one of the following categories:
Simple Fracture
A simple fracture is a fracture in which the broken bone does not penetrate the skin. The break may be visible if, for instance, the ulna or radius are broken, resulting in a forearm that is slightly twisted, but the bones do not penetrate through the skin. Simple fractures are usually less painful, heal more easily, and have a lower risk of needing surgical repair.
Comminuted Fracture
A comminuted fracture is a fracture in which the bone shatters into multiple pieces. A comminuted fracture may break the skin, but not always. These fractures are more complex and may require surgery for bone realignment or to remove shards of bone from surrounding tissue. These complex fractures may happen from high-impact injuries, like a blow to the arm.
Compound Fracture
A compound fracture involves a bone that has broken and penetrated through the skin. Compound fractures are more common in car accidents, where there is more potential for high-impact trauma. A compound fracture is considered more dangerous, because the open wound could become infected.
Displaced Fracture
Displaced fractures are breaks that cause the bone to be misaligned. These fractures will need to be “reduced,” which means they will need to be either manually or surgically realigned so that they can heal together to prevent disfigurement.
Greenstick Fracture
A greenstick fracture causes a person’s bone to bend and crack, but not fully break. It is so called because it is similar to the way a green tree branch breaks when bent. These fractures are very common in children, but still require setting and casting to ensure proper healing.
Growth Plate Fracture
Growth plate fractures only occur in children. Growth plates are soft, cartilage-like areas at the ends of the bones that support bone growth. When these fractures occur, they need immediate care. If they are not properly treated, the bone may not continue to grow properly, or the appendage could become disfigured.
Costs and Losses Based on the Type of Arm Break
The average settlement for any of these arm breaks from a car accident will vary, because some are more severe than others. For example, a displaced fracture can require surgery to correct. That procedure alone might cost as much as $10,000. On top of that, you’ll have associated costs for additional medical care (including emergency care), loss on income and wages, and non-tangibles like pain and suffering.
Serious Injuries Associated with Broken Arms
In some cases, a broken arm may heal within 6-8 weeks, leaving the individual with zero permanent damage. However, if the break is severe or complex, there could be long-term or even permanent damage to the person’s appendage. Some injuries are more severe and require a longer time to heal, along with possibly surgery, physical therapy, and permanent damage.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage is not uncommon with a bone fracture. If your fracture requires surgery, there’s always a risk of nerve damage due to incisions and the surgical process. Nerve damage could result in areas where you no longer have feeling, or places on your arm, hand, or fingers that are tingly or painful.
Disfigurement
In some instances, a break is so severe that it leaves you permanently disfigured. The chance of disfigurement is higher with displaced, compound, and comminuted fractures. Ensuring you get treatment immediately can help reduce the risk you have of developing permanent disfigurement, but if your break is extremely severe, you could be left disfigured due to the severity of the break.
Joint Dislocations
Instances where a person’s arm is forcefully pulled or stretched can result in permanent joint dislocation. This happens when the tissues that surround the joint are ripped and torn, allowing the bones to become loose in the socket. These injuries will require physical therapy and possibly surgical intervention for complete healing.
Compartment Syndrome
Compartment syndrome is a painful condition in which excess pressure in a muscle compartment prevents blood flow. This can lead to muscle and nerve damage if not treated immediately and properly. Surgery is usually the route most physicians use to treat acute compartment syndrome, like the type associated with a car accident.
Infections
Infections are possible with any type of fracture if surgical intervention is needed for repair or if proper wound care is not administered. If an infection is not identified and treated immediately, it can lead to sepsis. Sepsis occurs when an infection is so severe that the body’s own immune system begins damaging bodily tissues to combat the infection. This is a medical emergency that can be life-threatening.
Average Settlements Based on Severity of the Injuries
If your arm is broken, you need immediate care, no matter what kind of fracture you have. But many of the complications associated with traumatic breaks can affect your entire future. The average cost for treating hospital-acquired sepsis can be about $50,000 – and that’s just the sepsis. That doesn’t count the costs for the actual treatment, your recovery time in the hospital, any additional therapies you might need, and so forth.
Note that one potential risk of severe sepsis, compartment syndrome, and crush-related breaks is the need to amputate. An amputation will automatically increase the average settlement award, simply because it is far more expensive than some other types of medical care.
But for some folks, an amputation may leave them unable to go back to work – and that can also affect the award. A truck driver who loses an arm may eventually be able to return to work, but a surgeon may not be. A math teacher can likely still teach math, but a piano instructor almost certainly cannot. That can play a role in the average settlement for a broken arm in a car accident.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Seek Compensation for a Broken Arm in a Car Accident
The injury you are experiencing and the medical bills associated with it are unexpected hardships and burdens, and you may be entitled to recover compensation that offsets the cost to you.
A reputable personal injury attorney can help. While recovering from your injuries, the last thing you should have to worry about is filing claims, communicating with stubborn, sluggish insurance adjusters, or dealing with an appeals process if your claim is denied. Instead, let an attorney handle the heavy lifting while you recover. A personal injury attorney can help you:
- Collect evidence about your accident
- Review your case
- File your claim
- Communicate with the insurance company and/or opposing counsel/other parties
- Determine fault
- Estimate a value for your claim
- Help you with an appeal if your claim is denied
- File a lawsuit on your behalf if a settlement cannot be reached out of court
Don’t face the insurance company alone. Contact a trusted personal injury firm to fight for your right to recover compensation and recover from your accident.
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