bone fracture injury attorney in Birmingham, Alabama

It is estimated that approximately 6 million individuals in United States suffer fracture injuries. Fractures/broken bones usually happen because of falls and/or some type of trauma that affects the area where the injury occurs. A lot of individuals who sustain fracture injuries make a full recovery, though it may take a significant amount of time for the injury to heal. In some instances, however, an injury like this can be permanent and debilitating, resulting in a lifetime of physical difficulties for the victim.

Fracture/broken bone injuries can happen in a number of settings. Some are pure accidents, but in a large number of cases, the injury can result from the negligence or reckless actions of another party. When this is the case, those who suffer these injuries deserve to be fully compensated. Unfortunately, however, it is not always easy for an injured person to obtain the compensation that they are entitled to.

In most cases, and injury victim will be dealing with the responsible party’s insurance carrier, and the insurer’s primary goal is to pay the claimant as little as possible for their injuries. Insurance adjusters are professionals who are trained to find ways to lower their employer’s payouts, and they will use a number of different tactics to accomplish their objective. With so much at stake, it makes sense for an injured individual to have a strong legal advocate in their corner fighting hard to protect their legal rights and interests.

At Burge & Burge, we have over five decades of experience representing individuals who have suffered fracture injuries, and those who have suffered from all other types of personal injuries in Alabama. Our lawyers are dedicated exclusively to personal injury and related areas of the law, and we have an in-depth understanding of the nuances and complexities involved with these types of cases. We take the time to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that caused our client’s injury, and we will explore every potential legal avenue toward ensuring that they receive maximum compensation.

Types of Fracture/Broken Bone Injuries

Fractures can happen in several different areas of the body, including:

• Hip Fractures
• Skull Fractures (often accompanied by a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Broken Arms, Hands, or Wrists
• Broken Legs, Ankles, or Feet
• Broken Ribs
• Broken Back
• Broken Face Bones

There are also a number of different categories of fractures:

• Hairline Fractures: A hairline fracture is a crack in the bone that does not cause a complete break. These types of fractures are most common in the legs and feet and often result from overuse or stress.

• Compound Fractures: These are among the most severe fractures, causing a break in which the bone penetrates the skin, resulting in an open wound. Compound fractures almost always require surgery in order to stabilize the fractured bone and prevent the affected area from becoming infected.

• Stable Fractures: This is a clean break in the continuity of bone in which the bone still lines up in its original position.

• Comminuted Fractures: This is the opposite of a stable fracture – with a comminuted fracture, the bone shatters into several pieces. This type of fracture happens most commonly in traumatic events such as auto accidents.

• Oblique Fractures: With this type of fracture, the bone is broken at an angle. Oblique fractures happen most commonly with longer bones such as the tibia or femur.

• Transverse Fractures: This is a horizontal break that happens at a 90° angle straight across the bone. Transverse fractures happen most commonly when the impact caused by the trauma is perpendicular to the injury site.

The types and severity of fractures vary widely depending on each individual situation. However, younger people generally have a better chance of making a full recovery from this type of injury, while seniors and disabled individuals will usually have a harder time recovering, if they are able to at all.

Fracture Injuries in the Workplace

There are a lot of workplace accidents each year that result in fractures/broken bones. These types of injuries are particularly common in settings where workers are more susceptible to fall injuries. Examples include construction, manufacturing, timber/logging, powerline/utility workers, and oil drilling.

When an employee suffers a fracture injury, they should be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if their employer has coverage. Workers’ comp provides no-fault benefits to employees who sustain work-related injuries, but the claims process is far more complicated than it should be, and employees are often wrongly denied benefits if they have not dotted all of their “i”s and crossed all of their “t”s. This is why it is always recommended to work with an experienced workplace injury lawyer if you are dealing with a workers’ comp claim.

One of the major drawbacks to the workers’ compensation system is that employees are generally not able to sue an Alabama employer who has workers’ comp coverage. This means that they would not be able to recover compensation for noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life.

Even with a fracture that occurs in the workplace, however, a worker may still be able to pursue a personal injury claim and obtain noneconomic damages if their injury was caused by an outside party other than their employer or a co-worker. Examples of third parties that could be responsible for a fracture/broken bone injury that is suffered by a worker include:

• Subcontractors who are working nearby employees and whose negligence caused a workplace accident.

• Drivers of vehicles who crash into a vehicle that an employee is driving.

• Designers, manufacturers, or distributors of faulty products that cause or contribute to a workplace injury.

Pursuing a fracture injury claim in Alabama is not as easy as in most other states because our state still applies the antiquated “contributory negligence” legal doctrine. Under contributory negligence, an injured person can be barred from recovering damages if they are found to be even 1% responsible for the underlying accident or event. This is another reason why it is very important to get an experienced attorney involved in your case as soon as possible, so your right to recover compensation can be protected.

Contact Our Skilled and Knowledgeable Birmingham, AL Fracture Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one suffered a fracture/broken bone injury in Alabama, Burge & Burge is here to help. To arrange a free consultation and case assessment with one of our attorneys, call our office today at 205-251-9000 or toll free at 800-633-3733 or send us an online message. We look forward to serving you!

We take all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay attorney fees if we recover compensation on your behalf.