Car accidents can range from simple fender-benders to catastrophic events that can result in life-altering injuries. Both soft tissue injuries and bone fractures can be common in accidents, and the severity of the accident does not always determine the severity of the injuries.
Bone breaks can result in lengthy recovery periods and long-term pain. Certain types of accidents are more likely to break certain bones. For instance, side-impact crashes frequently result in broken collarbones. Let’s look at some of the bones that are most commonly broken in car accidents, how long they take to heal, and whether or not a person may experience long-term impacts from these injuries.
Clavicle
The clavicle or collarbone is a very common bone to break in a car accident. The clavicle frequently breaks under the pressure of the seat belt, which helps to keep the person secure in their seat. While this certainly prevents more significant injuries, it poses a fracture risk in the collarbone due to the extreme restriction and pressure placed on the body in that area.
Symptoms of a clavicle fracture include pain in the collarbone and shoulder, inability to lift the arm or rotate the shoulder properly, and a lump and/or bruising in the shoulder area. Most of the time, collarbone fractures are not treated with surgery. The patient’s arm is placed in a sling to keep the collarbone immobile for several weeks. For significant breaks, surgery may be required.
Usually, a fractured clavicle heals with no complications. if you’ve had surgery to correct the fracture, you may have nerve pain or numbness at the surgical incision site. Otherwise, you may notice a visible lump near the collarbone where it was broken. Rarely, patients have long-term pain and limited mobility due to a collarbone fracture.
Skull
One of the more serious injuries you can sustain in a car accident is a skull fracture. Fracturing your skull can result in traumatic brain injuries, or “TBIs,” which could significantly impact your quality of life. Skull fractures occur when the head is impacted with debris or when the skull hits another object, like the dashboard or windshield. A skull fracture may also occur when the skull is punctured with an object, like a piece of glass or metal.
If a person sustains a TBI as the result of a skull fracture, they may have significant limitations on their quality of life even once they have healed. TBIs can impact how a person moves, communicates, and experiences life. Even if a person does not sustain a TBI as a result of a skull fracture, the long-term impact of the fracture can result in chronic pain, memory problems, and difficulty with cognitive function.
Hand and Wrists
Car accidents can break bones in the hands and wrists. They often break as a result of people bracing their hands against the dashboard or the door in anticipation of a crash. They may also break when hit with flying debris or if the vehicle flips over.
Splints and casts are used to immobilize hands and wrists when they are broken. However, the long-term impact of hand and wrist fractures can result in chronic pain, difficulty accomplishing everyday tasks like tying shoes or typing, and the development of additional issues like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Neck and Spine
Some of the most significant and life-altering injuries occur in the neck and spine. Both the neck and spine have a high risk of fracture in an automobile accident due to extreme force. These breaks can result in permanent disabilities like paralysis and, in some cases, fatalities.
Spinal and neck fractures are broken down into categories based on the location of the specific vertebrae that are affected.
- Cervical. A cervical fracture refers to a break in one of the seven vertebrae located in the neck.
- Thoracic. A thoracic fracture refers to a break in one of the 12 vertebrae located between the neck and the lower back.
- Lumbar. A lumbar fracture refers to a fracture of one of the five vertebrae located in the lower back.
- Sacral. A sacral fracture is a break in the sacrum bone, located at the bottom of the spine; it includes the top of the pelvis.
- Coccygeal. A coccygeal fracture is a break in the coccyx bone, located below the sacrum at the bottom of the spine. This is sometimes called a tailbone fracture.
Treatment for a spinal fracture may involve surgical intervention. It may also involve the use of a brace to limit spinal mobility. The long-term impact of a spinal injury frequently results in chronic pain, mobility challenges, and the need for additional surgeries.
Ribs and Sternum
When a seatbelt tightens against a passenger’s midsection, the force of impact may result in a rib fracture. The most common way a sternum is broken is in a car accident.
Both ribs and sternums heal on their own, usually with no surgical intervention necessary. These injuries can cause long-term issues like chronic pain. Additionally, if the injury is significant, there’s a possibility that internal organs could be punctured by the broken bones. For this reason, it is extremely important to have a head-to-toe assessment at a medical center if you have been involved in a car accident.
Legs, Ankles, and Feet
Breaks to the lower extremities can also be common in car accidents. However, these injuries may sometimes be severe. For instance, the femur (the thigh bone) is the biggest and strongest bone in the body. It takes extreme force to break it, and it takes months to heal. Depending on the type of impact, the legs, ankles, and feet may be crushed and or broken.
Minor breaks to the legs ankles and feet may heal on their own with no lasting impact. However, for more significant fractures, a person may experience changes in the way they walk, the loss of ability to do things such as run or ride a bike, and may develop long-term pain.
Hips and Pelvis
Pelvic and hip fractures are considered severe injuries. They are most commonly sustained in car and motorcycle accidents, although they are still rare. The pelvis is a structure that cradles many internal organs. When it is fractured, there are often additional injuries, including damage to veins and lacerations to internal organs.
Both pelvic and hip fractures may require surgical repair. The time frame for recovery can vary depending on a patient’s underlying health issues and other breaks they may have sustained. The lasting impact of these types of breaks can cause difficulty with movement and even visible deformity in the hips.
Most Common Types of Breaks and Factures
There are several different types of breaks and fractures:
- Simple. A simple fracture, also called a closed fracture, is a type of bone break where the broken end of the bone does not penetrate the skin.
- Compound. A compound fracture, also referred to as an open fracture, is a type of break where the broken part of the bone penetrates the skin and is visible on the outside of the body.
- Greenstick. A greenstick fracture refers to a bone that has not broken completely but rather bent like the green stem of a tree, or fractured on one side but not all the way through. They’re very common in children.
- Hairline. A hairline fracture usually occurs in the lower extremities and is most frequently the result of continual stress or overuse.
- Comminuted. A comminuted fracture is a severe type of bone break in which the bone shatters into many pieces.
Each type of bone break can lead to significant changes in a person’s quality of life and may even result in chronic pain or the need for surgical intervention.
Complications From Bones Breaks Caused by Car Wrecks
Because broken bones are common injuries, people often think of them as less serious. But the truth is, there are some potentially life-altering (if not life-threatening) complications that come along with fractures:
- Organ damage. Lungs, hearts, kidneys, livers – all can be punctured or damage by a broken bone. This can lead to internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening. Some people may need transplants to survive long-term, and transplants come with their own risks. Damage to reproductive organs can render people unable to have children.
- Nerve damage. Broken bones can impact nerve function. If a bone needs to be surgically reset, the opportunity for nerve pain and nerve damage to occur is elevated. A person may experience numbness, tingling, pain, or other sensations at the surgical site. In some cases, a broken bone can sever a nerve entirely. If that nerve happens to be in the spinal cord, it could leave a victim paralyzed.
- Compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome occurs when increased pressure in a muscle compartment causes pain, swelling, and nerve damage. Compartment syndrome can happen as the result of a bone break or other trauma. Left untreated, compartment syndrome can result in more significant injuries, including tissue loss, which can lead to amputation.
- Blood clots. Anytime a person breaks a bone, they are at a higher risk of developing a blood clot. Blood clots are more common with fractures in the lower extremities and can lead to strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, or kidney failure.
This is not an exhaustive list of complications a person can develop as the result of a broken bone. If you broke a bone as the result of a car accident and are still experiencing symptoms or have experienced worsening symptoms since the bone healed, hiring a car accident attorney to help you file a claim can be a good solution for helping you receive compensation to cover the cost of your continued care.
How Long Do Most Broken Bones Take to Heal?
Broken bones typically heal in six to 12 weeks. Factors that affect the length of time it will take a bone to heal include:
- The size and location of the broken bone
- The type of fracture and severity of the fracture
- Other complications such as other injuries or illness
- Whether or not surgical intervention is required
If your broken bone has healed and you are still experiencing symptoms, it may be necessary for you to seek additional treatment.
Your Legal Options If You Break a Bone in a Car Accident
When you are injured in a car accident, you deserve to receive compensation for your care. Hiring a personal injury attorney is a good place to start. An attorney can help you file your claim and build a case for you so that you receive fair and just compensation. Contact a personal injury lawyer in your area today to get started.
