Fracturing your femur in a car accident Perhaps you were hit by an 18-wheeler or by a speeding passenger vehicle in Ohio. The violent impact of the crash may have left you with a fractured femur. Car crashes are, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the leading cause of femur fractures.
Different types of femur fractures
The femur, also known as the thighbone, is the strongest bone in the body. With age, the bone becomes more fragile, which is why elderly people who fall sometimes break their femur. These are usually hip fractures, or fractures of the femoral neck, which connects to the hip joint. Car crash victims, though, tend to break the femur along the shaft or at the distal end, which connects the femur to the knee joint. These can be stress fractures, or they can be
complete fractures that displace the bone. Fractures can be accompanied by crushing injuries that shatter the bone.
Complications arise from femur fractures
Femur fractures are not usually life-threatening, but the complications related to them can be. These include blood clots, blood loss caused by the damaging of blood vessels and the possibility of infection if the bone comes out of the skin. Some fractured femurs need to have their pieces reattached and realigned through metal rods, plates, screws and wires. Doctors may give an intravenous antibiotic and prescribe an oral form after patients are released from the hospital. To regain their strength, patients may undergo regular physical therapy and rehabilitative care. Meanwhile, they may need medications to cope with the pain.
When collisions are due to negligence
Perhaps you incurred your
personal injury because the other driver was negligent or downright reckless. The severity of your injuries can complicate the case, so you may want a lawyer to assist with the filing, negotiations and gathering of evidence. A lawyer may work to ensure that you are covered for past and future medical expenses, lost income, any diminished capacity to earn a living and pain and suffering.