Wrist Fractures From Falling

Wrist fractures from falling can result in devastating physical injury. The dangers that come with a fall due to someone else’s negligence can be magnified even when making the effort to catch yourself before hitting the ground by using your outstretched arm to break the fall. Often, the end result is a broken wrist, which can not only be painful to rehabilitate, but can also cause major inconveniences that disrupt everyday life.

Businesses are often cleaning their floors, either mopping or waxing. While completing these chores and afterward, they have a duty to create awareness that the surface could remain slippery for some time. Such slipping could also be the result of excessive waxing, spills that are not cleaned up in a timely manner, or many other types of conditions which show neglect.

Other areas of neglect can be a substandard or broken hand rail at a residence, obstructions in aisles that lead to tripping or any manner of worn flooring. In colder climates, this type of negligence takes shape in the form of icy sidewalks, parking lots or driveways that haven’t been salted.

Tripping hazards are also one of the major causes for a fall resulting in this type of bodily harm. This can be caused by retail establishments allowing merchandise or inventory to be left in aisles or walkways. It can also be caused by defects in walking surfaces such as raised differentials in concrete slabs or other surfaces caused by neglect over time, a failure to repair or warn by the owner and/or inadequate lighting during dusk and nighttime hours.

Depending on the age or health status of the falling individual, even a seemingly mild fall can result in a broken wrist. Those age 60 or older suffer falls much more often, while the bone strength of those suffering from osteoporosis can make a trip to the doctor or emergency room necessary.

In virtually all cases of a broken wrist from a fall, the diagnosis will be a distal radius fracture, with a bruise evident, along with swelling and obvious pain. If normal activities can’t be performed, or the wrist’s shape is deformed, numbness is setting in or your fingers are losing circulation, so immediate treatment should be sought. During the period prior to treatment, ice should be applied to reduce swelling.

In its simplest form, a broken wrist may only require a cast. However, if the alignment of the bone has been affected, an orthopedist will attempt straightening out the bone by performing either an open or closed reduction. In the latter case, that avoids having to make an incision, but both are possible with or without surgery.

Surgery will be necessary if the current bone alignment will inhibit future function, or if a cast will fail to aid in the healing process. Here, the bone will be kept in place, though the surgery may end up using a cast once the bone’s been aligned. Other considerations may entail the use of one or a combination of the following: a metal plate and screws, metal pins or an eternal fixation device.

Failure to address the effects of a broken wrist can cause a temporary problem to develop into a permanent situation. That’s because if the wrist bones don’t heal in the proper alignment, simple activities will cause great pain or be impossible for your remaining years. These include the buttoning of shirts or holding a fork or writing utensil, and other factors that can devastate an individual’s quality of life.

All of the procedures noted above can cost thousands of dollars or raise your insurance rates as a result of filing a claim. You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s negligent actions, so if you or someone you know has suffered this type of injury, you need to get in touch an attorney familiar with all the ramifications involved in these types of cases. They possess the experience and know-how to make sure that justice is rendered fairly and properly for their clients.