In some of the most high-impact car crashes in Louisiana, victims can wind up fracturing their femur, the strongest bone in the human body. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons even says that auto accidents are the leading cause of such injuries. If you suffered a femur fracture, you may want to see if you can seek compensation under personal injury law.
Femur fractures can be life-threatening
Sometimes, femur fractures are relatively minor. Elderly people, whose bones have become brittle, may fall and incur a stress fracture at the femoral neck, which is at the hip. Car crash victims, though, tend to injure the femoral shaft, which is the midsection, or the distal end, which connects the femur to the knee joint. The bone could be crushed and splintered in collisions.
The result of such an impact is the tearing of muscles and ligaments as well as the rupturing of blood vessels. Blood loss and blood clots can lead to death. Victims may also run the risk for an infection if their femur projects from their skin. In most cases, crash victims with a broken femur need to be transported directly to the hospital.
A variety of medical treatments
When the femur is broken completely and displaced, doctors may insert metal rods and screws to treat it. Hip and knee fractures could be addressed with metal plates. When injuries are minor, doctors may simply put the leg in a cast. Vehicle occupants are relatively protected by their car, which absorbs the shock of any collision, so it makes sense that pedestrians and motorcyclists are much more likely to fracture their femurs.
Filing a claim with legal representation
Even after the treatment, you may need to take pain medications and undergo physical therapy. To be reimbursed for all these expenses, in addition to lost income and pain and suffering, you might pursue a personal injury case, but you may want a lawyer to assist with the process. With legal representation, it might be easier to prove the other party’s negligence and strive for an out-of-court settlement.