Broken bones can lead to substantial and unanticipated consequences, including both financial losses and overall suffering. If you suffered broken bones due to someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to file a claim for compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, and suffering. An experienced lawyer at NST Law can help you learn more about your options and help you pursue a broken bone accident settlement.
A broken bone can mean significant medical costs, especially if you require surgery. In addition, you could face the loss of mobility and independence. As you try to manage your finances and plan for your medical needs, you might wonder if you are entitled to compensation for those damages.
You can pursue a personal injury claim for your losses when you suffer a broken bone due to someone else’s negligence. The amount you can recover varies depending on the circumstances. Among the factors that influence the value of a broken bone case are the severity and location of the injury, pre-existing conditions, and determinations about liability and negligence.
If you suffered a broken bone in a car accident or other event in Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, or Illinois, NST Law can help. Learn more about your legal rights, the broken bone accident settlement process, and what NST Law can do to make you whole again.
Understanding Broken Bone Compensation Amounts
Injury victims, including those with broken bones, can seek to recover economic and non-economic damages in a personal injury claim. Economic damages are objective, quantifiable losses such as medical costs and lost wages, among other things. Non-economic damages compensate for the harder-to-value effects on the victim’s life.
While the types of damages are daily standard, there is no standard payout for a personal injury settlement. Every case has unique circumstances, and very specific facts influence the value.
An experienced attorney can help you calculate how much compensation you are eligible to seek. Below are some of the most common losses you may seek compensation for.
One year Medical Expenses
Medical costs for a broken bone can be higher than victims expect. Without medical insurance, the cost of non-surgical treatment for a broken leg can cost around $2,500 or more, while the cost of surgical treatment can be between $17,000 and $35,000 without insurance. Surgical treatment for a broken arm can run around $16,000 or more, depending on the extent of the injuries.
In addition, some patients with broken bones require physical therapy to help them regain strength and mobility after their accident. Physical therapy can cost $30-$350 per session, depending on the provider and whether the patient has insurance. A patient injured due to another party’s negligence may have the right to claim compensation for physical therapy costs.
Lost Wages
The time you miss at work after an accident resulting in a broken bone can depend on many factors, including which bone you broke, the severity of the break, and what type of work you perform. Employer policies can also influence the time you spend out of work because some employers, such as construction companies or factories, have specific guidelines dictating when employees can return to work after an injury.
You may lose vital income during your time out of work, making it difficult to pay your regular bills. As part of your broken bone injury claim, you may claim compensation for the wages you lost because of your injuries. This includes both lost wages for time missed right after the accident and those lost because of follow-up appointments and procedures.
Pain and Suffering
In addition to compensation for tangible losses such as medical bills, broken bone injury claims can request compensation for the emotional pain and suffering your injury caused. Many people who have suffered a broken bone also experience emotional anguish due to physical pain, missed opportunities, and lost independence during recovery. At NST Law, we help our clients analyze the suffering they have experienced because of their injuries and include it as part of their claims.
Factors That Affect Broken Bone Compensation Amounts
Many factors influence the compensation you can recover as part of a broken bone injury claim. Our past verdicts and settlements serve as a guide to what you may recover in a broken bone settlement.
The following are several factors that impact the value of a broken bone case.
Severity of the Injury
For many broken bone victims, the severity of the injury has the greatest impact on the compensation they can recover. A severe injury usually means higher medical bills and a longer recovery period. Patients spend more time out of work, have more difficulty during recovery, and face a higher risk of long-term complications. Broken bones that result in permanent disability also lead to greater compensation.
Location of the Injury
A broken bone can cause different limitations and challenges depending on where the break occurs. Sometimes the location means a more difficult recovery and greater limitations during recovery. For example, a patient with a broken leg may need crutches to get around and may have more limited activity than a patient with a broken arm. People who suffer broken ribs may have severe restrictions on their activities. A person with a broken hip or pelvic bone may have severely limited mobility during recovery. Furthermore, breaking large bones can mean greater overall medical expenses and a greater risk of long-term complications.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions or previous injuries can considerably impact your broken bone injury claim. The insurance company may try to argue that your suffering or limitations relate more to the pre-existing condition than they do to your current injury. Pre-existing conditions may also worsen the damages you face because of the accident. At NST Law, we fight to help our clients recover fair compensation for all the damages they sustain because of those injuries, including damages related to a pre-existing condition.
Liability and Negligence
When someone else’s negligence causes broken bones, that party can be held liable for the damages they caused. However, you must prove the other party was negligent to recover damages.
Proving negligence often requires a thorough investigation to uncover key evidence and build a strong case. But the effort and time can be well worth it. When a client broke both legs in an accident with a concrete truck, we helped him recover $1 million in damages because of the commercial truck driver’s negligent actions.
Insurance companies often try to deny claims and argue that their policyholder is not liable for a victim’s damages. For example, NST Law represented a client who suffered numerous fractures during a volunteer event when other volunteers cut down a tree that fell on him. Initially, the insurance company denied liability for our client’s damages. After an extensive investigation, including consultation with expert witnesses, we helped our client recover damages more than $700,000 in damages for his injuries.
Shared Liability
In some cases, the injured party is partially responsible for the accident that resulted in broken bones. In many states, if you are less than 50 percent responsible for your injuries, you can still recover compensation for the percentage of the damages caused by the other party. For example, if you bear 20 percent of the liability for a slip and fall, you can still recover 80 percent of the damages.
A knowledgeable lawyer understands the effect of shared fault under the laws of your state. They will be able to counsel you on the viability of your claim and develop a strategy to minimize the effect of any blame you share for your accident
Insurance Policies
The liable party’s insurance policy may determine how much compensation you can recover for your damages. For example, suppose you suffer an auto accident in Tennessee. A driver with minimum liability insurance may have $25,000 in bodily injury protection, limiting how much compensation you can ultimately recover even if you sustain much more costly injuries. At NST Law, our car accident lawyers can identify all the insurance policies that may apply to your claim to help you maximize your compensation.
Get Help with Your Broken Bone Injury Claim
Several factors go into determining the compensation amounts available in a broken bones accident claim, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Factors that influence the value of a broken bone case include the severity and location of the injury, pre-existing conditions, and liability and negligence.
If you suffered broken bones due to someone else’s negligence, NST Law can help. Contact us today to learn more about your right to file an injury claim for a broken bone and how much compensation you can recover.
FAQ
Can I Get Compensation for Fractures?
Yes. If someone else’s negligence caused your fractures, you can file a claim for compensation.
How Much is a Broken Leg Worth?
There is no standard value for a broken bone claim. The amount of compensation depends on numerous unique facts and circumstances. The value of a broken leg claim depends on the medical bills you incurred, how much time you had to miss at work, and the extent of your suffering, among other things.
Can I Get Compensation for Fractures?
Broken bones can sometimes lead to permanent disability. If you suffered broken bones because of another party’s negligence, contact NST Law to discuss your rights.
