Key points of this article:

• The difference between a broken bone and a fracture.
• What causes broken bones in a car accident?
• The most common broken bones in a car accident. 
• The different types of fractures that can occur in a car accident.

Broken bones and fractures are the most common injuries people suffer from car accidents. But just because they tend to happen frequently doesn’t mean they can’t be serious. Depending on the force and location of the impact, broken bones from a car accident can range in severity. 

If you’ve suffered broken bones or fractures from a car accident, you should reach out to the skilled car accident attorneys at Rhoads & Rhoads to learn if a settlement to compensate you for your injuries is possible. Call them right away at 888-709-9329 for a free consultation. 

The Difference Between a Broken Bone and a Fracture

A fracture is any break in the structure of a bone. Whether a bone has a hairline fracture or is completely broken, your medical professional could call the injury either a fracture or a broken bone. 

What Causes Broken Bones in a Car Accident?

As you can imagine, the sheer force of vehicles of varying weights and sizes colliding can cause many injuries. Here is a list of the major forces that cause broken bones in a car accident: 

• Slamming forward into the seat restraint
• Striking the pavement when ejected from a motorcycle
• Being struck by the airbag
• Loose items that slam into you
• Being ejected from a vehicle if not wearing a seatbelt
• Crushing forces such as the weight of a tractor-trailer
• Reaching forward to brace for impact to protect your face

The Most Common Broken Bones in Car Accidents

Now let’s take a look at the most common bones that break or fracture during car accidents. 

• Arms and Wrists: These fractures often occur when the driver or passengers extend their arms instinctually to brace for impact against the steering wheel, dashboard, seatback, or other solid surface.
  
• Legs: Along the same lines as arms and wrists, motorists and passengers tend to stick out their legs automatically to try and stop the accident or slam on the brakes. This can result in injuries to the tibia or fibula.
  
• Backs, Necks, and Spines: These are more common in rear-end and head-on collisions. As the body jerks back and forth, it can cause fractures in the vertebrae. Back and neck injuries commonly require surgery and physical therapy.
  
• Collarbone: Also known as the clavicle, this runs across the top of your rib cage. It is the most fragile bone in the human body. Because it is thin in density, it often breaks during car accidents.
  
• Skull: Cranial fractures are treated rapidly because there is often damage to the brain. These fractures occur when the driver hits their head on the steering wheel, dashboard, or window.
  
• Pelvis: Front-end collisions often cause pelvic injuries due to the force of impact, which can thrust the steering wheel, engine, and other parts of the car toward the driver

The Different Types of Fractures That Can Occur After a Car Accident

According to Aurora Health Care Group, there are different types of fractures. Each comes with its own set of complications and recovery. Let’s take a look at the differences. 

• Stress Fracture: Also called hairline fracture, is a small crack in the bone. 
• Compound Fracture: This occurs when the broken bone goes through the skin and can be seen by the naked eye.
• Partial Fracture: When the bone is cracked but is not in two separate pieces, you have a partial fracture. 
• Complete Fracture: This is when the bone is broken into two separate pieces.
• Displaced Fracture: During this type of complete fracture, the bones no longer line up.
• Fragility Fracture: This occurs in people with poor bone health, including those with osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones due to a loss of mineral content. 
• Greenstick Fracture: In this type of bone fracture, an infant or child, whose bones are softer than adults, the bone bends and cracks but doesn’t break completely in two. 

Do You Have Broken Bones from a Car Accident? Call Rhoads & Rhoads!

If you’ve suffered from broken bones after a car accident, you should work with an experienced law office that knows how to get you compensated for your injuries and emotional damage. The car accident attorneys at Rhoads & Rhoads in Owensboro, KY, have years of qualified experience to handle your case with skill and care. 

You should concentrate on recovery while Rhoads & Rhoads handles all of the details. Call us today for a free consultation at 888-709-9329 or contact us online.