Fractured & Broken Bone Lawyers

Broken bone lawyers in New York, New Jersey and Chicago, IL specialize in helping victims who suffer injuries ranging from hairline fractures to complete breaks. When someone fractures or breaks a bone due to another’s negligence, an injury attorney that specializes in these types of cases can help maximize compensation for their damages. Most often, damages include medical expenses and lost wages from being unable to return to work.

The broken bone attorneys at Sobo & Sobo have over 50 years of experience winning settlements for victims across New York, New Jersey and Chicago, IL. Call 855-468-7626 or reach out online to connect with an experienced bone injury lawyer, and learn the value of your case in a free consultation.

Injuries Covered in Broken Bone Accident Lawsuits

Depending on how severe the fracture or break is, broken bone injuries can be life changing, and result in short-term suffering to life-long disability. Some of the most common types of bone fractures and breaks victims receive compensation for include: 

• Transverse Fractures: A transverse fracture occurs when a bone breaks at a 90-degree angle. This typically occurs in car accidents, when a being thrust in different directions transmits a large amount of force directly perpendicular to the bone.
• Oblique Fractures: An oblique fracture is a curved break along the length of the bone. A sharp blow or sudden twisting along a limb are common causes of oblique fractures.
• Comminuted Fractures: These fractures are characterized by a bone breaking into more than two pieces. These most commonly occur in smaller bones such as those along the hands and feet. These occur most frequently in car accidents, and in slip-and-fall accidents, as people instinctively put their hands out to catch themselves, often resulting in fractured wrists, and digits.
• Stress Fractures: A stress fracture is a hairline fracture in the bone that commonly occurs among those who are required to handle heavy objects and perform repetitive motions at work. Workers who do not take enough breaks (or are told not to by employers) are most likely to develop stress fractures over time.
• Greenstick Fractures: Greenstick fractures occur when a bone bends after being impacted by a large force. These most commonly occur in children, when they’re bones are soft and underdeveloped. A fracture is likely to occur along the outside of the bend. 

Examples of Negligence in Broken Bone Lawsuits

Falls, being struck by or against another force, and motor vehicle traffic accidents are the top three leading causes of emergency department visits for all NY residents with broken bones.

Slip-and-Fall Injuries 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that about one fifth of all falls cause serious injuries such as broken bones. Falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations among NY children aged 0-4, and adults over 25. The following bones are commonly broken in New York slip and fall injury cases:

• Elbow
• Wrist
• Shoulder
• Hip
• Back and spinal cord

In these cases, premises owners can be held liable for any dangerous condition they caused or failed to correct in a reasonable amount of time. These include the owners of apartment buildings, stores, and homes. New York is a comparative negligence state, which means that at-fault individuals can be held liable for an accident even if the victim is deemed partly responsible for the injuries.

Claims in this area of law fall under premises liability. Property owners have a duty to regularly inspect the property for unknown dangers and either correct the hazard or properly caution visitors. Other causes of broken bones due to premises liability accidents include:

• Uneven sidewalks
• Parking lots
• Cluttered store aisles
• Escalators
• Poorly lit areas
• Broken handrails

Workplace Injuries 

Fractures can occur as the result of several types of accidents and can occur in any workplace environment. Fortunately, the New York Workers’ Compensation Board is designed to protect any worker injured on the job by providing financial support no matter what caused the injury. After breaking a bone in a workplace accident, workers can expedite a recovery by understanding their rights and legal options.

Accidents that lead to broken bones at a job include:

• Slipping on a spill
• Tripping on a misplaced item
• Falling down a stairwell due to lack of handrails or low lighting
• Being struck by heavy machinery or objects at a jobsite
• Falling off scaffolding at a construction site

Medical bills and other losses resulting from a workplace broken bone injury will typically only be paid by the workers’ compensation carrier. An injury may call for a separate injury lawsuit if the victim can establish that there was intentional harm done by the employer. Any third party separate from the employer and employee that played a role in the injury may also be held liable. 

A thorough guide to getting compensated through the New York Workers’ Compensation process can be found here.

Broken Bones in Car Accidents

Any bone can break during an accident depending on the severity of force applied to it. However, car accident-related injuries most commonly occur to the following bones:

• Collarbone
• Ribs
• Femur
• Pelvis
• Sternum
• Vertebrae
• Radius

Severe car accidents can also result in skull fractures. It is critically important for victims to be thoroughly examined after a crash, as fractured skulls can endanger life and be very serious. In worst case scenarios, pieces of bone may press against the brain. Head injuries of any kind may conceal dangerous damage to the brain, with or without a fracture.

Fractured & Broken Bone Settlements

The medical costs of breaking a bone are expensive in New York. Injury settlements help victims recover and improve their quality of life by compensating them for all related damages, including:

• All medical expenses including physical therapy, surgery, medications, and ongoing medical care
• Compensation for any lost wages from missed work
• Ongoing lost income if the broken bone prevents the victim from going to work within the same capacity as before the accident
• Pain and suffering and emotional distress

Contact a Broken Bone Lawyer

If you or someone you know broke a bone in an accident caused by another’s negligence, contact the injury attorneys at Sobo & Sobo online for a free consultation, or call 855-GOT-SOBO. At Sobo & Sobo, we have over 50 years of experience helping injured victims win broken bone settlements across New Jersey and Chicago, IL.

Nationwide Broken Bone Statistics 

• Bone fractures count for 16% of all reported injuries in the U.S.
• On average, 887,679 hospitalizations occur each year in the U.S. due to broken and fractured bone accidents
• Falls are the leading cause of bone injuries as the population ages
• Upper limb fractures (arm, forehand, wrist, hand) account for slightly more than half of all fractures (52%-59%)
• More than 2/3 of lower limb fractures occur in the ankle, foot and toes
• Fractures to the lower leg (tibia and fibula) are the least common broken bone injuries overall 

Sources: Bone and Joint Initiative USA & National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey