If another driver’s negligence causes you to suffer a broken wrist, you’re dealing with a painful injury that can also be debilitating. A fractured wrist is slow to heal, and when complications arise, they can lead to serious physical consequences. If your wrist was broken in a car accident that a negligent motorist caused, it’s time to reach out to an experienced South Carolina car accident lawyer.
Car Accident Injuries
According to the Mayo Clinic, a broken wrist can result from a break or crack in any one of the bones that make up your wrist. The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. Immediate treatment is necessary. Waiting to receive the treatment you need can lead to bones that do not align as they heal, which can ultimately interfere with your ability to participate in everyday life activities. Obtaining the treatment that you need when you need it also helps to ensure that you regain your range of motion and that you won’t suffer from chronic pain going forward. The signs and symptoms that are most closely associated with a broken wrist include:
- Intense pain that may increase when you move your hand or wrist or when you make a gripping or squeezing motion
- Noticeable swelling and bruising around your wrist and hand
- Tenderness and numbness in the affected area
- An obvious deformity of your wrist
If there is any numbness or swelling involved – and if you have difficulty moving your fingers. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of broken wrists listed by the Mayo Clinic.
Car Accident Causes
The impact of a car accident can leave you with a complicated wrist break that requires extensive and ongoing care. Car accidents are typically caused by driver negligence, which can take wide-ranging dangerous forms.
Impairment
You know how dangerous it is to get behind the wheel after you’ve had a drink or two too many, and so does every other driver out there. Unfortunately, this does not stop some motorists from regularly engaging in this life-threatening practice. Drunk drivers must contend with physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments that render them seriously unsafe behind the wheel. Drunk drivers often get top billing in car accident statistics.
Exhaustion
Driving with too little sleep under one’s belt is far more dangerous than many drivers realize. The impairments suffered by drowsy drivers compare to those of a drunk driver’s experience. When a motorist drifts off behind the wheel, the results are often catastrophic.
Excess Speed
You’ve heard it before, but it remains just as accurate today – speed kills. Speed enhances the danger of everything else a motorist does. Not only does driving too fast leave motorists with less time to react safely to dangerous driving situations that arise, but it also increases the risk that the outcome of any ensuing accidents will be fatal.
Distraction
Distraction is a serious problem on our roads that isn’t going away anytime soon. When a driver loses themselves in a smartphone, safety takes a back seat. When motorists interact with their phones, their vision, hands, and thoughts are all engaged in that act – rather than being focused on driving safely – which makes dangerous accidents far more likely. In the five seconds (give or take) that it takes to read or write a text, a driver can travel a distance about the football field’s length (when traveling at highway speeds), translating to a hazardous situation.
Aggression
Aggressive drivers are shining stars when it comes to driving dangerously. Aggressive drivers purposefully take out their anger behind the wheel, which leaves everyone at immense risk. Aggressive drivers like to combine dangerous driving practices into one terrifying event, and examples include any combination of the following:
- Speeding excessively
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Refusing to yield the right-of-way
- Slowing down or stopping in the middle of traffic for no purpose
- Attempting to engage other drivers by using foul language, making obscene gestures, flashing the headlights, honking incessantly, and more
- Crossing multiple lanes without care or concern
- Passing dangerously
- Tailgating
Give aggressive drivers in your midst a hard pass, and alert the authorities when it is safe to do so. Your call could save a life.
Your Physical, Financial, and Emotional Damages
The law addresses the losses you incur due to someone else’s negligence, and when it comes to a broken wrist, these damages typically break down into predictable subgroups.
Medical Expenses
A broken hand can require extensive medical care and attention. The injury is extremely painful, but it is also critical that you obtain the specialized treatment you need to help you regain a complete range of motion and use of your hand and wrist. Such expenses can include all the following:
- Emergency care and treatment
- Surgeries
- Hospital stays
- Pain management
- Care from doctors and specialists
- Follow-up care
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation
Your wrist is made up of delicate bones that are carefully calibrated to provide you with incredible agility and the ability to do the thousands of things you do with your hands every day. Therefore, the healing process for a broken wrist is very exacting and requires the careful attention of highly skilled medical professionals. Further, you may need ongoing medical care and attention.
Lost Wages
If your wrist is broken, it means that your hand isn’t functioning correctly, and this means that – no matter what kind of work you do – you’re likely to be off the job for a considerable amount of time. This also means that a decrease in earnings during the healing process is very probable. If your injury ultimately affects your ability to do your job, it can leave you facing decreased earnings well into your future.
Pain and Suffering
As mentioned, a broken wrist is an exceptionally painful injury, and in addition to the physical pain, you may experience considerable emotional pain and suffering. Being injured so critically by someone else’s negligence can take a severe toll, and the aftershocks can leave you reeling. Ensuring that your claim incorporates your complete damages, including the pain and suffering you’ve endured, is critical to your ability to heal, which means it is essential to address your pain and suffering head-on.
Your Car Accident Attorney’s Role
If you are saddled with a broken wrist as a result of another driver’s negligence, you’re facing severe challenges ahead. Still, your resourceful South Carolina car crash lawyer is here to help you with that in all of the following important ways:
- Compiling your most substantial claim that delineates the damages (or losses) you’ve suffered as a result of your broken wrist
- Skillfully negotiating with the insurance company for compensation that covers your complete damages and that allows you to pursue your most complete recovery
- Preparing your case for court if the car insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith
With an experienced car accident attorney on your side, you significantly increase your chances of obtaining the full and fair value of your claim
FAQ
The answers to some of the most frequently asked questions often help accident victims like you.
What should I do first?
If you’ve been in a car accident that leaves you with a broken wrist, the very first thing you should do is seek the medical attention that you need. Carefully following your doctor’s instructions is next on the list. From here, you should make consulting with a practiced car accident lawyer your priority.
Is it necessary to have an attorney?
While you are not required to hire an attorney, doing so is in your best interest. A car accident lawyer will knowledgeably advocate for a favorable claim resolution that allows you to move beyond your accident and injuries.
How can I help my attorney help me?
The most important things you can do to help your attorney help you include tending to your recovery by following your doctor’s instructions and giving social media a pass while your claim is pending (to avoid providing the insurance company with any statements to bend to its purposes).
Do I need to provide the insurance company with an official Statement?
The insurance company will ask you to make a statement after a car accident. Still, you are not required to do so, and you’re far better off allowing your car accident lawyer to provide the insurance company with everything it needs.
Turn to the Professional Legal Guidance of an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in South Carolina Today
Suppose you’ve suffered a broken wrist as a result of another driver’s negligence. In that case, the experienced car accident attorneys at David Aylor Law Offices in South Carolina have the experience, legal insight, and commitment to skillfully advocate for your rights in pursuit of your claim’s optimal outcome. To learn more, please don’t wait to contact or call us at 843-733-7662 to schedule your free case evaluation today.
