Oklahoma City Broken Bones Attorney
Millions of people in the U.S. each year suffer from broken bones, also called bone fractures. Any accident can cause a broken bone injury.
Here are some common accidents that cause broken bone injuries:
Regardless of what caused your broken bone injury, if someone else’s negligence caused the accident that injured you, you may be entitled to compensation.
What is My Broken Bones Case Worth?
The value of a personal injury case depends on several different factors. Not all of these factors apply to each personal injury case.
Our patient personal injury attorneys will help you understand how these factors influence the value of your case. Here are some factors that impact the value of a broken bones case:
- The severity of the injury
- Certainty of liability
- Whether your case settles or goes to trial
- Costs of litigation
Other factors that can influence the value of a case could be if there were unusual publicity surrounding a case.
The Severity of the Injury
The severity of the injury can influence the value of the case. In a broken bone case, the severity can depend on the type of fracture. Bone fractures are classified based on criteria established by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Open Fractures vs. Closed Fractures
A bone fracture can be classified as “open” or “closed,” depending on whether the broken bone punctures the skin. In closed or simple fractures, the broken bone does not pierce the skin.
On the other hand, open fractures are those with punctured skin or exposed bone. These fractures are also called compound fractures. The edges are usually jagged and the bones may be dislodged from their usual location in the body.
Comminuted Fractures v. Compression Fractures
Broken bones can also be classified based on the break pattern. This is important because it influences how the doctors choose to treat the broken bone.
Comminuted fractures and compression fractures are break patterns that can cause the most pain and can be difficult to treat. In both types of fractures, a bone breaks into many pieces.
The bone is fractured into three or more pieces in a comminuted fracture. These can happen in either open (with broken skin) or closed (without broken skin) fractures.
A compression fracture happens when a bone collapses on itself. This is most common in spinal vertebrae. There are many other, less common, types of fractures in addition to these.
Open fractures are likely to lead to higher settlement and trial judgment awards. Comminuted and compression fractures may increase medical expenses due to the specialty treatment required.
What Damages Can I Get in a Broken Bones Case?
Under the law, an injury victim may be entitled to financial compensation, called legal damages. The kind of damages an injury victim can recover depends on the type of case at issue.
There are two kinds of damages: economic and non-economic. Both types of damages are meant to pay an injury victim back for a loss caused by their injury.
Economic damages are meant to cover monetary losses.
Some types of losses that are subject to economic damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Ambulance, therapy, or medication expenses
These are usually proven with documentary evidence, such as medical bills, pay stubs, and tax returns.
Non-economic damages attempt to make an injured victim whole for losses that are not always valued in dollar terms.
Non-economic damages cover:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
There are multiple strategies to prove the value of these losses. The financially savvy personal injury attorneys at McGuire Law Firm work with financial experts to help put a figure on these damages.
Often, different types of damages may be available for the same injury, such as a broken bone. Here’s how:
Let’s say that a cashier at a grocery store chain injures herself while scanning groceries at work. If this cashier’s employer participates in workers’ compensation insurance, she may be entitled to all medical expenses and partial wages, regardless of whether she was at fault for her injury (perhaps by scanning groceries in an unsafe manner).
On the other hand, in a medical malpractice case, damages can be different depending on whether the injury victim has pre-existing conditions. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand the factors that might influence the value of your broken bones case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Broken Bones Lawsuit in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma law requires injury victims to file a lawsuit within two (2) years after the date of injury or wrongful death. It is important to understand this deadline, called the statute of limitations. If an injury victim does not file the lawsuit before the deadline, they may not be able to recover any financial compensation.
Can I Recover Damages if I am Being Blamed for My Broken Bones Injury in Oklahoma?
If you are being blamed for your broken bone injury, you might feel like you are not entitled to recover financial damages. However, in Oklahoma, you can still recover damages as long as another person bears over half of the responsibility for your injury.
Oklahoma is what’s known as a modified comparative negligence state. Under comparative negligence laws, the amount of compensation owed to an injured person can be reduced by the percentage for which they are responsible for their injury. In Oklahoma, compensation becomes unavailable once you’re allocated 51% or more of the blame.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at McGuire Law Firm know how important it is to defend our clients against accusations of blame. We can help you minimize your percentage of the fault and maximize your financial recovery.
Reach Out to Our Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Have you or a loved one broken a bone or had multiple fractures in an accident in Oklahoma City, OK? Depending on the circumstances of your situation, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
If you were injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you could recover damages for the costs of your medical treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering you have suffered.
Our Oklahoma City personal injury lawyers at McGuire Law Firm are ready to get to work for you. To learn more about your legal rights, reach out to our Oklahoma City personal injury and accident attorneys for a free initial case consultation. Contact us today.
