Don’t Just “Walk Off” Bone Fractures

When you or your child breaks a bone, it can be very easy to write it off as an unfortunate fact of life, go get a cast put on, and try to live normally. In some cases, a broken bone can even be misdiagnosed as a sprain or ligament tear by the average person. However, if not treated properly, fractures can lead to a host of health problems – and if someone else caused your broken bones due to their own negligence, you have the right to hold them accountable.

Adult Fractures Can Be Devastating

There are many, many different causes of fractured bones in adults, with falls, vehicular accidents, and sports injuries being among the most common. Obviously, some fractures will be more severe than others, but if an injury is particularly serious – for example, an avulsion, in which tendon separates from the bone, or a comminuted fracture, when a bone simply splinters – it can profoundly affect a person’s daily life. They may require extensive recovery time, which can lead to lost wages, depression or other ailments, and other factors which can, in extreme cases, cost a person their job.

Florida is a no-fault state, so unless your injury is considered severe, you would seek damages for a fracture with your insurer. However, it can be an uphill battle to convince them to cover the medical bills and lost income; too often an insurer will try to argue that a fracture is negligible (not severe enough to warrant coverage). If you have an experienced attorney on your side, the process of negotiating with your insurer often goes more smoothly.

Broken Bones At Birth

It is worth mentioning a slightly different subset of the law surrounding broken bone injuries – when they occur in newborns. While most child and adult broken bones happen due to negligence (their own or another person’s), a broken bone in an infant is often a medical malpractice issue. The most common broken bone in newborns is the collar bone, which obviously is highly problematic for breathing issues and movement – but of course, a newborn cannot generally communicate this pain except by crying, which can be mistaken for colic and other more common afflictions.

Sometimes a baby’s bones will heal on their own given how relatively pliable they still are – but many do not, and evaluation is critical. Also, be advised that the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Florida is only two years from the time you knew (or should have known) of the injury – this can be an extremely short time, relatively speaking, so the minute you suspect all is not well with your child, it is important to act fast.

Contact A Tampa Broken Bones Attorney

Despite the fact that most people have broken bones in their lives and turned out fine, it is still important to treat a broken bone seriously. If you have questions or concerns about your injuries, call the Tampa personal injury attorneys at the Rinaldo Law Group today. We are happy to answer your questions. Contact our offices for a free consultation.

Resource:

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15241-bone-fractures

https://www.tampainjuryaccidentlaw.com/fractured-bones-can-cause-long-term-disability/