Broken Bones & Orthopedic Injury Claims in Mississippi
Strong representation for personal injury victims since 1982
Broken bones (also known as fractures) are one of the most common types of injuries that accident victims suffer. Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders who are in vehicle accidents are all likely to break one or more of their 206 bones. Slip and fall accidents often cause hip fractures and broken arms or legs. Product defects, construction accidents, and any other accident involving force can cause fractures.
At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., our Mississippi personal injury lawyers have more than 200 years of combined experience helping accident victims who suffer any type of severe injury, including broken bones and other orthopedic injuries. To assert your right to compensation after an accident, call us today.
How can we help?
- What are the different types of orthopedic injuries accident victims can suffer?
- Common types of broken bone injuries
- Accidents that commonly cause orthopedic injuries
- Medical treatment and long-term impact
- Compensation is available for broken bone injuries
- How insurance companies downplay bone injuries
- When to contact a Mississippi injury lawyer
- Do you have a Mississippi orthopedic injury lawyer near me?
What are the different types of orthopedic injuries accident victims can suffer?
Orthopedic injuries are injuries to your musculoskeletal system. This system includes your bones (the basic framework of your anatomy, joints that connect bones, ligaments, tendons (which attach muscles to bones), and muscles (which help you with motion and generating force).
Common orthopedic injuries include:
- Fractures
- Joint dislocation
- Sprains (ligament injuries)
- Strains (muscle and tendon injuries)
- Tendonitis
- Torn ligaments
- Meniscus tears
- Stress fractures (small cracks in the bones)
Degenerative orthopedic injuries include plantar fasciitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Accidents that commonly cause orthopedic injuries
Any type of forceful accident can cause orthopedic injuries. Some of the most common causes of broken bones and other orthopedic injuries include the following:
- Car accidents. A driver or passenger can suffer broken bones due to the force of metal or glass on their body, collisions with parts of the vehicle, or collisions with another person in the car. Pedestrians and bicycle riders can suffer fractures when a vehicle strikes them and when they fall to the hard ground.
- Truck accidents. Truck accidents are generally much more forceful due to their size and weight. The increase in force increases the risk of a fracture and the risk of more complicated fractures.
- Motorcycle accidents. These accidents often cause broken bones due to multiple impacts – one with another vehicle and a second when the rider falls to the hard ground.
- Slip and fall incidents. Many people break parts of their arms as they try to save their bodies when falling. Fractured hips and legs are also common slip and fall injuries because they’re the parts of the body that often hit the floor first. Seniors are especially prone to broken bones due to falls because their bones are more brittle.
- Workplace accidents. Workers who work with machines and equipment can suffer fractures if they fall from these objects (such as falling from scaffolds or ladders), are pinned by an object (such as a forklift), or are struck by an object.
Operating on the wrong body part may constitute medical malpractice under Mississippi law, subject to proof requirements and expert testimony. Defective products can cause falls, shocks, and explosions, which can cause fractures. Other causes of broken bones include farm accidents and construction accidents.
At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., we handle both personal injury claims and workers’ compensation claims that involve orthopedic injuries. In most workplace injury cases, compensation is provided through workers’ compensation rather than a personal injury lawsuit, unless a third party or limited legal exception applies.
Medical treatment and long-term impact
Some of the symptoms of a broken bone include the inability to move or bear weight, severe pain, swelling, a visible deformity or misalignment, and the lack of improvement with rest.
The treatments for fractures, depending on the type of fracture and the severity of the fracture, include the following:
- This treatment involves the use of a splint or cast to hold the bone in place during the healing process. Splints usually require three to five weeks, while casts require six to eight weeks. Healing timelines vary depending on the type and severity of the fracture and the patient’s overall health.
- Closed reduction. This treatment, for more severe breaks, is a nonsurgical procedure where your doctor will “physically push and pull your body on the outside to line up your broken bone inside you.”
- The most common type of bone fracture surgery is an open reduction/internal fixation. Your doctor will use rods, plates, pins, wires, and screws to hold the pieces of your bone together. These fasteners may be inserted for your lifetime. With an external fixation surgery, your doctor will place screws in your bone on either side of the fracture, and then connect the screws to a brace or bracket around the bone, outside your body. An external fixation is a temporary process until you can have an internal fixation.
- Joint replacement. If the fracture damages the bones in a joint, your surgeon will replace part or all of your natural joint with artificial replacement parts.
- Bone grafts. Here, your surgeon will “insert donor bone tissue to rejoin your fractured bone. After that, they’ll usually perform an internal fixation to hold the pieces together while your bone regrows.”
Some accident victims may be able to move again within a few weeks. More severe fractures may require a year or more to heal. Some fractures never fully heal, causing permanent mobility limitations, arthritis, and chronic pain.
The treatments for torn ligaments, strains, and other orthopedic injuries depend on the specific type of injury.
Compensation for broken bone injuries
At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., we work with your doctors (such as orthopedists and family doctors) to verify the type of fracture you have, the treatments you need, the limitations you have during the healing process and afterwards, and your inability to work because of your fractures.
Our Mississippi orthopedic injury lawyers seek compensation (bone fracture settlements or jury verdicts) for all your past, current, and future damages, including:
- Medical expenses of every type by every healthcare provider, including orthopedists, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals.
- Lost income, which includes wages, benefits, and business income, for as long as you can’t work.
- Pain and suffering, which includes physical pain, difficulty walking, difficulty sleeping, un-scratchable itches, and emotional distress.
- Loss of bodily function during the healing process, and possibly afterwards.
- Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures.
- Any scarring or disfigurement.
How insurance companies downplay bone injuries
Insurance companies will often try to minimize the severity of your fractures or other orthopedic injuries. These arguments include:
- Stating that most injuries of the type you have should have healed by now
- Arguing that your injuries aren’t as painful or as limiting as you say
Our lawyers work with you and your doctors to verify the full scope and severity of your orthopedic injuries.
How insurance companies downplay bone injuries
Insurance companies will often try to minimize the severity of your fractures or other orthopedic injuries. These arguments include:
- Stating that most injuries of the type you have should have healed by now
- Arguing that your injuries aren’t as painful or as limiting as you say
Our lawyers work with you and your doctors to verify the full scope and severity of your orthopedic injuries.
Do you have a Mississippi orthopedic injury lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet accident victims at the following locations:
Clarksdale Office
- 30 Delta Avenue
- Clarksdale, MS 38614
Jackson Office
- 2630 Ridgewood Road
- Suite D
Greenville Office
- 540 Main Street
- ICON Building, Suite 302
Oxford Office
- 2084 Old Taylor Road,
- Suite 110
Meridian Office
- 2121 5th Street
- Suite 205
Our personal injury lawyers also consult with new clients by phone and through online video, such as Zoom or FaceTime. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, we can discuss alternative ways to meet with you.
Our team is ready to answer your questions and guide you step-by-step through the claims process.
Talk with our accomplished orthopedic injury lawyers now
We understand how upset and angry you are. Now, you're in a lot of pain and agony. Most broken bone accidents are preventable. Please call Merkel & Cocke, P.A., now or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle orthopedic injury cases on a contingency fee basis.