It takes a great amount of force to fracture the femur, which is the strongest bone in the human body. High-impact car crashes, especially those involving pedestrians and motorcyclists, are the leading cause of femur fractures in North Carolina and across the U.S. Perhaps you were in such an accident yourself and suffered one.
The types of femur fractures
If you intend to file a personal injury claim, then you should be familiar with the nature of the injuries you incurred. The femur can be fractured at the head and neck, which connect to the hip; the shaft, or the midsection; or the distal end, which links the bone to the knee joint. Hip fractures, where the femoral neck is broken, tend to occur in older people with fragile bones.
Knee fractures, which involve a broken distal end, and fractures along the shaft arise most often from car accidents. In cases where the bone is crushed, it may splinter. Other injuries are partial breaks like stress fractures.
Femur fractures can be life-threatening
A femur fractures will be accompanied by complications, some potentially life-threatening, like torn muscles and ligaments, blood loss, blood clots and infection if the bone protrudes from the skin. Immediate medical attention is necessary in these cases.
Victims who break the femur along the shaft will likely need metal rods and screws to be implanted to reattach the pieces and straighten the bone. They may be given pain medications and have to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitative care. In cases of hip and knee fractures, victims may have their bone reattached via metal plates. If the risk for infection is high, they may take antibiotics.
What to do in the wake of a car crash
You suffered greatly in a motor vehicle accident, and now you’re wondering if you can recover damages from the other driver’s auto insurance company. Know that this state follows a pure contributory negligence rule, which bars plaintiffs from recovering if they are even 1% at fault. A lawyer may give your case personal attention and determine just how much you might be eligible for.