Broken Bones

Huntsville Broken Bone Lawyers

  • More than 25 years of experience fighting for personal injury victims in Northern Alabama

    The human body has 206 bones. Any one of these bones can break in a car accident, a construction accident, a slip and fall, or a workplace accident. While some bones may heal with a cast or with surgery, many fractures never fully heal. Broken bones often prevent victims from working and performing routine activities. At Martin & Helms, we hold drivers, property owners, and others accountable when their negligence causes a broken bone. Call us today if one or more of your bones broke due to an accident.

    Our record of recoveries in cases involving broken bones includes:

    • $1,592,672. We obtained this jury verdict for our client, who broke both his legs in a car accident.
    • $715,000. We obtained this settlement for our client, who suffered a broken leg and hip in an accident caused by the driver of a small commercial truck.
    • $195,000. Our Huntsville broken bone lawyers obtained this settlement for our client who suffered a broken arm escaping a fire which started as a result of faulty work performed by a plumbing contractor.

How can we help? We can help by answering the following questions:

What are the different types of fractures?

Our Huntsville personal injury lawyers work with your doctors to verify which bone is broken and the type of break. The different types of fractures, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, include the following:

 

Open or closed fracture

An open (compound fracture) means that the bone can be seen through the skin. A deep wound can also expose the bone through the skin. With a closed (simple) fracture, the bone is broken, but there is no break in the skin.

Names for the types of breaks

Fractures have different names depending on the type of break and other factors. These names include the following:

 

The type of break

  • A part of your bone is broken, which causes the other side to bend.
  • “The break is in a straight line across the bone.”
  • “The break spirals around the bone.”
  • “The break is diagonal across the bone.”

 

The severity of the break

  • “The bone is crushed. This causes the broken bone to be wider or flatter in appearance.”
  • The bone fractures into three or more pieces.
  • The same bone has multiple breaks.

 

The location of the break

  • “The bone is broken near a tendon or ligament.”

What types of accidents cause bone breaks in Huntsville?

At Martin & Helms, we represent drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders who suffer broken bones in the following types of accidents:

How do doctors diagnose a broken bone?

If you are in any type of accident, you should see an ER doctor or your family doctor as soon as possible. Some of the symptoms of a fracture include swelling, not being able to put weight on a joint, difficulty moving or using a part of your body, sudden pain, a visible deformity, bruising, warmth, or redness.

 

Your Huntsville doctors will take an oral history (ask you what happened and how you’re feeling) and conduct a physical exam that tests the injured area for swelling, tenderness, the ability or inability to move the injured area, and other tests.

 

The diagnostic tests for a broken bone include the following:

 

  • X-ray. This test uses “electromagnetic energy beams to make pictures of internal tissues, bones, and organs on film.”
  • CT scan. This diagnostic test uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to provide detailed images of the injury site.
  • This test “uses large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to make detailed pictures of structures within the body.”

How do doctors treat fractures in Huntsville?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the treatments for broken bones focus on putting the broken parts back into their proper position, pain management, providing time to heal, preventing complications, and helping accident victims regain use of their bones and the fractured location.

 

Common treatments for broken bones include:

  • Using a splint or cast. This procedure keeps the injured area immobile to help keep the bone in alignment and helps protect the bone during movement.
  • Your doctors may prescribe pain management medications (subject to cautions about their use) or recommend over-the-counter medications.
  • This technique uses pulling action to “stretch certain parts of the body in a certain direction,” through the use of pulleys, weights, strings, and a metal frame attached over or on your bed. This procedure helps to stretch the muscles and tendons around the broken bone, while also helping your bone alignment and the healing process.
  • Some Huntsville accident victims may require surgery to reposition the bones. Your doctors will generally use different techniques (such as using metal rods or pins inside the bone or outside the body) to “hold the bone fragments in place while they heal.”

 

Broken bones may need several months to heal. Some victims may live with arthritis and chronic pain.

How much is my broken bone injury claim worth in Alabama?

At Martin & Helms, we work with your orthopedic doctors and family doctors to show which bones broke, the type of break, how well (or not well) they’ve healed, and how your fractures are affecting your daily life. We work with other experts and with your witnesses to show the severity of your other damage claims.

 

Our Huntsville personal injury lawyers demand compensation for your damages so far and all your future damages. These damages include:

 

  • Your medical bills. Emergency transport, ER care, surgeries, hospital stays, physical therapy, other rehabilitative care, assistive devices, and medications.
  • Your lost income. Wages, salary, overtime, business income, benefits, and long-term disability compensation.
  • Pain and suffering. All your physical and emotional trauma, including immediate, chronic, and permanent pain.
  • Property damage. The damage to your vehicle or personal property.
  • Other damages. These include any scars, the inability to enjoy life, loss of bodily function, and loss of consortium.

 

We may also seek punitive damages for unconscionable conduct. For example, if your fractures are due to a drunk or distracted driver.

Do you have a Huntsville broken bone injury lawyer near me?

Yes. We can meet clients in our Huntsville office, located at 2317 Market Place SW, Suite A. If your fractures prevent you from traveling, we can make arrangements to see you away from our offices. We also speak with clients by phone and through online video platforms like Zoom and FaceTime.

Our lawyers can answer your questions and explain how the claims process works.

Get help from our Huntsville broken bone lawyers today

At Martin & Helms, we have the experience and resources to fight against the insurance companies and defense lawyers so you can focus on your health. Many broken bone cases do settle. We’re always ready to argue your case in court. Please call us or complete our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation. Our personal injury lawyers represent clients in Huntsville, Decatur, Madison, Athens, and throughout North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis.