Broken bone

Personal injury and broken bones

Broken bones, known as fractures, are a very common personal injury after an accident. They can range from being minor, such as a hairline fracture, to very serious, such as a multiple break. Broken bones are usually treated through the use of a plaster cast. This is to keep the injured bone immobile in the correct alignment while it naturally heals, and to protect it from any further impact. It also ensures that the person with the personal injury does not unintentionally put any weight on the bone and cause themselves pain. If the fracture is very serious, surgical intervention may first be required.

Types of broken bone

There are several types of broken bones, which result as a direct result of the type of impact and the amount of forces the impact involves.

The most common type of broken bone is a simple fracture. This is where the bone fully breaks but does not pierce the skin. While there is less visual evidence, the symptoms of this personal injury are easily identifiable. There will be large amounts of worsening pain, severe swelling, bruising, and a lack of ability to bear weight.

An impacted fracture is a personal injury that is most commonly cause by falling from a great height. This is where the end of one bone is forced into another.

A spiral fracture is a break that is around the bone. Sporting injuries are the most common cause of this type of personal injury, because of the twisting motion that some sports require.

A comminuted fracture is a personal injury where a bone is broken into fragments. It is also known as a compression fracture. This type of injury most commonly occurs when large forces are involved with the impact. It is the most common type of personal injury fracture in road traffic accidents because of the large forces.

Serious Law have a great deal of experience in both the treatment and personal injury compensation of broken bones. If you would like to investigate the possibility of a personal injury claim, or to ensure you are receiving the correct level of rehabilitation to ensure your personal injury recovers appropriately, then visit our > Contact Us page for more information.

Broken bone repair

The recovery time for broken bones completely depends on the type of break, its severity, and other factors such as your age. As a basic guideline, a non-complex simple fracture will take around 8 week to repair. After these 8 weeks it will still be relatively week however, and should be cared for until it has fully recovered its strength.

Regardless of these variables there are four clear stages that are undergone during the healing process. A haematoma is initially created by the blood vessels in the bone. A cartilage callus then forms along the haematoma (nature’s splint). A bony callus then eventually replaces the cartilage. For the final stage, a bony callus then forms a permanent patch on the fracture.

Broken bones as a personal injury and your next steps

If you would like to investigate whether you have a personal injury compensation claim after an accident resulting in a broken bone, then please call 0800 035 15 65 or visit our >Contact Us page for more information.