Hip injuries usually involve the thighbone. It’s the strongest bone in the body, but the force of a Kentucky car impact is enough to cause a fracture. Accident victims experience a lot of pain and they will most likely be off their feet for quite a while.
The recovery from a hip fracture can leave patients in a hospital bed where they may begin to experience many other complications related to their debilitating injury. In a car accident caused by a careless driver, victims must seek full compensation for their injuries. This means support for medical bills already received and those expected in the months to come.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Kentucky Hip Fracture Lawyer
After you or a loved one suffers a traumatic hip fracture in a car accident, please speak with a Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer before you speak to any car insurance representative. A hip fracture can take months to fully recover from. Victims can also suffer other health problems while they are immobilized. Insurance adjusters can try to get you to accept an insurance settlement offer that covers less than half of your bills.
Take advantage of a free accident consultation with the lawyers at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, of Kentucky as soon as possible. We can tell you what your hip injury is actually worth and help you hold a car insurance provider fully accountable.
If you feel we can help you earn more for your hip injury recovery, you won’t pay us anything now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you.
Hip Fracture Dangers in Kentucky Accidents
The hip is a joint connecting the femur (thighbone) with the pelvis. Hip fractures usually involve a break in the upper femur bone near the joint. A powerful collision caused by a careless driver can create the power needed to cause this major injury. The legs are often sent into the floorboard with tremendous force to cause a hip fracture.
The Mayo Clinic reports that a hip fracture almost always requires surgical repair or replacement, followed by extensive physical therapy. Immobility for victims is a big reason a hip fracture can be so dangerous, especially in older victims who may not heal as quickly and may see a decline in overall health while in the hospital.
These are common signs that a car accident has caused a broken hip:
- Inability to get out of a car or walk.
- Severe pain in the hip or groin.
- Inability to put weight on the leg on the side of the injured hip.
- Bruising and swelling in and around the hip area.
- Shorter leg on the side of the injured hip.
- Outward turning of the leg on the side of the injured hip.
Diagnosis for Hip Fractures in Kentucky Traffic Accident
Hip injuries usually keep patients in pain for a month to six weeks. Patients may not feel back to normal for three months or more. Of course, this recovery time can be longer for older patients and patients with already weak bones.
Some healthcare experts say that hip injury without complications will easily cost a patient over $10,000. Recovery from a complicated fracture can easily build up bills reaching $50,000 or more. These costs don’t include surgeon fees and the potential for nursing home care. Physical therapy is often a major component in building strength back in the legs and learning to walk again.
A permanent disability is also possible and that would leave patients with medical costs for the rest of their lives. Medical equipment and home renovations may be necessary to give the patient as much freedom as possible. Victims may also have to give up their jobs if they can’t handle work duties. They could require a lifetime of support to provide income to their close family members.
These estimates only emphasize the importance of getting the maximum in car insurance settlement money possible. A Kentucky Traumatic Injury Lawyer works to make sure hip fracture injury victims get the support they need and never have to pay for their own care out-of-pocket.
Compensation Available After a Hip Fracture in a Kentucky Car Accident
Hip fractures are not only painful, but they also greatly disrupt your normal life. You may be trapped in a hospital bed until you can put weight on your hip joint again. During that time, you can miss family activities. Physical exercise may be forbidden for quite some time. Driving could be off-limits.
All of these restrictions are difficult to cope with, but that downtime can also lead to an overall decline in health. Muscle deterioration and blood clots quickly become threats. Muscles and tendons can permanently shorten after a while. Digestive problems are possible and patients also eat less when they are less active. Unhealthy weight loss is possible. Patients are also more susceptible to catching viruses and diseases as their immune system weakens and as they are exposed to more germs in a hospital.
These are the serious consequences for a hip injury victim. And that’s on top of the difficult journey back to mobility and learning to use a damaged hip joint for walking again. The path back to full health can be physically and emotionally draining.
It’s critical that patients create a list of every hardship a hip fracture has caused, so every detail can be included in an insurance hip injury claim. Your Kentucky hip fracture lawyer helps ensure that you don’t leave anything out because anything left off could end up as a bill you must pay out of your own savings.
These are just some of the factors that determine the size of a hip fracture settlement check:
- Hospital and medical expenses. Including the cost of physical therapy and treatment for health complications stemming from long-term immobility.
- Lifetime costs associated with a permanent physical disability such as a limp or the loss of the ability to walk altogether.
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Emotional trauma. Support for the anxiety and depression that might follow a hip injury due to the loss of enjoyment of life. The PTSD symptoms that might arise after enduring a scary car crash.
- Lost income and benefits while a patient is unable to work.
- Compensation for the damage or destruction of property in a car accident. Car repairs or replacement.
- Wrongful death claims. The benefits a family may seek after a precious loved one has been taken in a car accident. Wrongful death benefits are also available to close relatives after a patient dies during recovery from a hip fracture.
Contact a Kentucky Car Accident Hip Fracture Lawyer
Kentucky accident victims have up to one year to file a claim over a hip fracture injury. This deadline begins on the date of the collision. It may seem like there’s no rush, but you should speak with a Kentucky Hip Fracture Lawyer as soon as possible. Filing your claim while evidence is still fresh and witnesses are still easy to locate will be key to securing everything you and your family need for hip injury recovery.
Schedule a free, no-obligation case review today with a Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer you can trust to be on your side and fight for your fair compensation. You’ll speak with a real Kentucky lawyer at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC. If you decide we can help you earn the most for your hip fracture injury claim, you won’t need any money. We don’t get paid unless we win your case.
