Drivers in Texas should know that femur fractures are not unheard of among the victims of car accidents. In fact, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says that car accidents are the leading cause of femur fractures. These crashes must be high-impact ones, naturally, since the femur is the strongest bone in the human body.
Nature of a femur fracture
The femur can be divided into the head and neck, which connect to the hip; the shaft, or midsection; and the distal end, which meets with the knee joint. The elderly, when they fall, typically experience a femoral neck fracture. This can also be called a hip fracture. Crash victims, especially adolescents and adults, are more likely to fracture the shaft.
Femoral shaft fractures are usually so serious that doctors will need to insert a metal rod and screws into the femur to bring the pieces together and realign the bone. Metal plates are normally required in the case of a knee fracture.
What else happens in a femur fracture case
The femur will not fracture without other serious conditions arising. Victims may tear ligaments and muscles, and blood vessels may break and cause a near-fatal amount of bleeding. Infections become a very real possibility if the bone happens to break through the skin. Injuries can be so severe as to necessitate ongoing rehabilitative care.
Seeking compensation for all losses
It could be that you yourself fractured your femur and are still paying out for physical therapy and pain medications. In the meanwhile, you may be unable to work at the same capacity as before. To be reimbursed for these and other legitimate losses, you may pursue a personal injury case against the driver who caused your condition. A lawyer may negotiate for you with the driver’s auto insurance company.
