crutches

A broken bone or fracture is a serious and very painful injury that will require urgent medical attention and normally a minimum of four to six weeks recovery time.

A bone that has a crack or break is termed a fracture, a fractured bone can happen to any of the bones in the human body, but the most common are broken arms, broken legs and fractures to the hand, wrist and foot.

When the skin around the area injured remains unbroken the fracture is termed ‘closed’ or ‘simple’, in cases where the bone has penetrated the skin the terms ‘open’ or ‘compound’ fractures are used.

Open or compound fractures are the most serious kind of broken bone as the wound can be left exposed and therefore open to infection, there are many other different kinds of fracture, the most common are:

  • Avulsion Fracture – Means a small piece of broken bone has detached from the main bone.
  • Bowing Fracture – Means the bone has bent but not broken, generally only affects children, as young bone is less brittle that an old bone.
  • Comminuted Fracture – Means a bone is totally crushed or shattered into pieces.
  • Complete Fracture – Means a bone is broken into two pieces.
  • Complicated Fracture – Means there is other injury near the fracture, such as veins, major blood vessels or nerves.
  • Compound Fracture or Open Fracture – Means the bone penetrates through the skin.
  • Compression Fracture – Means the bone has collapsed (common with spinal injuries).
  • Fracture dislocation – Means a joint has dislocated and one of the joint bones has fractured.
  • Greenstick Fracture – Means a bone has fractured on one side only (common in the young).
  • Impacted Fracture – Means a fragment of broken bone has driven into the other, rather than separating as normal in a break.
  • Longitudinal Fracture – Means a break that runs down the shaft of the bone.
  • Oblique Fracture – Means a slanting break across the bone.
  • Single Fracture – Means the bone has only broken in one place.
  • Spiral Fracture – Means a break that goes around the bone.
  • Transverse Fracture – Means a break that goes straight across the bone

More serious broken bones and fractures can lead to osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis in the UK) this is most common in breakages involving joints (knees, hips, elbows etc’).

Someone who has broken a bone may not always know it, depending on the severity and location of the fracture there are many different symptoms, the most common and obvious are:

  • Swelling and pain (in many cases the pain is extreme)
  • Limbs may be bent at an unusual angle
  • A grinding sensation may be felt in the area of the joint or bone
  • Bruising in the area of the fracture
  • Restricted movement
  • Inability to put weight on injured area

The best treatment for a broken bone or fracture is to keep the injured bone immobile, many people also require a series of physiotherapy sessions after the fracture has healed, this can help build mobility and strength.

Many people suffer broken bones and fractures in accidents that are not their fault, some examples of common non-fault accidents that result in breaks to bones are:

  • Road Traffic Accidents (drivers, passengers, cyclists & pedestrians)
  • Slips & Trips (on wet floors, icy surfaces and uneven pavements)
  • Accidents at Work
  • Injury sustained while playing sport
  • Accidents on holiday

Anyone who suffers a broken bone in an accident that isn’t their fault is very likely to be able to make a claim for personal injury compensation.

With an injury as serious as a broken bone it is important that anyone considering making an accident claim seeks specialist legal advice. A personal injury Solicitor will have considerable experience of handling claims involving similar kinds of injury.

In addition a specialist injury claims Solicitor will normally have access to a UK wide network of medical experts and their clients will be provided with the very best private treatment to ensure the quickest possible recovery.

An experienced injury claims Solicitor will take care of all the complicated negotiations and legal arguments with a view to making sure the maximum amount of compensation is paid by the party responsible for the accident (or their insurance company).

Pinto Potts are expert personal injury claims Solicitors with considerable experience in handling claims for people who have suffered broken bones and fractures, for free, confidential legal advice about making a claim call: 0800 316 4434.