The inflammation of a hip fracture can cause excruciating pain in the groin and hip areas, making it difficult for you to walk or put any pressure on the affected hip.
If another party’s negligence or misconduct caused a car accident that fractured your hip, you might want to hold them accountable and recover the compensation you deserve. With help from a car accident attorney, you could get the most out of your claim and ensure you recover compensation for all the medical expenses you incurred because of your fractured hip.
Recoverable Damages for Hip Fractures
You’re likely dealing with significant damages after breaking your hip in an auto accident. For example, the Mayo Clinic points out that hip fractures typically require surgery and physical therapy, leading to thousands of dollars in medical bills.
However, if another party caused your injuries, you have the right to be compensated for every loss. Therefore, your lawyer will review how your injury has affected your life. You could recover economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic damages describe your monetary losses, documented by bills and receipts. However, your noneconomic damages account for the intangible losses due to how your fractured hip has affected your life. Examples of economic and noneconomic damages you could receive include:
- Hikes to your insurance premiums
- Loss of income
- Reduced future earnings
- Medical bills and equipment fees
- Costs of future medical care
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
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Statute of Limitations for Hip Injury Claims
Louisiana’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases arising from hip fractures is just one year. Therefore, filing your claim before the statute of limitations expires is vital. If the deadline has passed without filing your case, the court could bar you from pursuing your case.
Thus, the sooner you start working with a personal injury lawyer on your hip injury claim, the more likely they can access the evidence needed to prove negligence and liability in your case. For example, if you hope to obtain video footage of the accident, it might only be available for a limited time before being recorded over or deleted.
Types of Hip Fractures
According to the Cleveland Clinic, hip fractures typically happen in one of two places on the bone:
- Femoral neck fractures occur in the femur approximately 2 inches from where the femoral head (ball) meets the socket.
- Intertrochanteric hip fractures occur approximately 4 inches from the joint in the area that lies between the neck and the main section of the thigh bone.
These are just a couple of the different hip fractures you might sustain. However, no matter what type of fracture you suffered, a car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for your losses.
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Signs of a Hip Fracture
You will feel the most obvious symptom of a hip fracture—the unbearable pain from the thigh, hip, or groin. However, other signs of a fractured hip include:
- Hip inflammation
- Unexplained bruising and swelling
- Your affected leg appears shorter than the unaffected leg
- The leg with the injured hip turning outward
- Difficulty walking on the affected hip
- Inability to apply pressure or put weight on the affected leg or hip
It might surprise you to learn that broken hips can become life-threatening if left untreated. You could suffer complications like a blood clot or pneumonia, so you must seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid further injury.
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Common Causes of Hip Fractures
Hip fractures have many causes. Some are medical, such as osteoporosis or a thyroid issue that weaken your bones, causing you to break your hip when you fall.
However, the severe forces unleashed in a motor vehicle crash can also cause hip fractures regardless of your age. Some of these include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bus accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
Whether in an auto collision or a slip and fall, you might have grounds for a personal injury claim if someone else’s negligence caused your fractured hip. As long as your hip injury has had a substantial impact on your life, your attorney can show how their actions caused your injury and losses, entitling you to compensation for your damages.
Reach Out To a Personal Injury Lawyer for Help Today
Breaking your hip in a car crash can make your entire life more challenging. So, make sure you have access to the compensation and benefits you need to ease the financial burden on you and your family.
Contact a personal injury attorney at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today to discuss your legal options for financial recovery. You can schedule your no-cost, risk-free consultation when you call our office to get started on your hip fracture claim.
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