Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC Home
Clavicle Fractures Injury Attorney
When you are involved in an accident, it is possible for you to suffer a fracture to your clavicle bone. Also called the collarbone, it is the thin, long bone that extends from your shoulder to the middle area of your neck on either side of your body and attaches to your ribcage. The collarbone can be easily broken in a variety of ways. If you suffer a collarbone fracture due to trauma in an accident that was caused by someone else, you may need to get legal help from an experienced injury attorney so that you might recover damages.
While most people might believe that the bones of the arms or legs are the most frequently broken in the body, the clavicle bone is the most frequently broken. Because of its location, this bone may be broken when people extend their arms to break falls, receiving direct hits or by shoulder impacts.
Collarbone fractures are common in accidents in which there is trauma to the body. These breaks may happen in motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents and slip, trip and fall accidents. Whenever you receive a direct hit to your collarbone or to your shoulder, it is possible for this bone to break.
In motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents, people may suffer from collarbone breaks when they are struck by their airbags or are thrown from their bikes and strike the pavement. These types of fractures may happen in falls that involve children falling from playground equipment or elderly people slipping and falling. Bicycle accidents may cause these types of bone breaks when people are thrown over their handlebars.
Collarbone breaks may be excruciating and make it difficult for you to use your arm. If you experience this type of injury, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Being unable to lift your arm
- Severe pain
- Shoulder sloping forward and down
- Swelling, tenderness and bruising over your collarbone
- The appearance of a bump over the broken area
- Feeling like your bones are grinding when you attempt to lift your arm
If you suspect that you have suffered a break to your collarbone, you should seek medical attention to get properly diagnosed and treated.
When you see your doctor, he or she will likely ask you questions about what happened and the symptoms that you are experiencing. He or she will then conduct an examination of your shoulder. In many cases, collarbone fractures show obvious deformities with bumps over the broken area. The doctor may look for swollen areas, areas of tenderness, deformed areas and open wounds. Your doctor may order tests such as an X-ray to determine the extent of the break. A CT scan may also be used so that your doctor can obtain detailed pictures of the broken area and of your joint.
There are several different types of treatment that your doctor might recommend if you have suffered a break to your collarbone. The particular option that your doctor might recommend may depend on the type of the break and its severity.
If the break is not severe and the ends of your bone are not out of alignment, your doctor might recommend nonsurgical treatment options. Many broken collarbones are able to heal without surgery. Some of these treatment options might include immobilizing your arm and shoulder by using a sling, taking over-the-counter or prescription pain medications and undergoing physical therapy. Your doctor might also recommend that you use a figure-of-8 splint, which is a special type of bandage that helps to keep your shoulder and collarbone in place while it heals.
Surgical Treatment OptionsIf the break is severe or the bone ends are shifted significantly, you may need surgery. Surgical intervention for a collarbone break normally involves your doctor putting the bone ends back in place and holding them in position while they heal. The most common type of surgery that is used for this type of bone break is called the open reduction and internal fixation. Your doctor will put the pieces back in place and then fasten them together using a small metal plate. The doctor may instead hold the bone fragments together with pins and screws. Since pins and screws may be irritating, they are normally removed after the break has healed. The metal plates are normally left in place unless they cause discomfort.
Contact an Experienced Los Angeles Personal Injury LawyerIf you have suffered a fractured collarbone in an accident that someone else caused, it is important for you to talk to an experienced lawyer. Schedule your consultation with Los Angeles attorney Steven Sweat today by contacting our office.
