In most cases an arm injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of traumatic arm injury and represent more than half of all cases handled by personal injury solicitors. If you have been injured in a car accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our offices or use the solicitors helpline. Our arm injury solicitors offer advice at no cost without further obligation. If our arm injury solicitors deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
Falling on an outstretched hand or being in a car crash or some other type of accident is usually the cause of this injury. Most people know right away if they have broken their arm, because there may be a snap or a cracking sound. The broken arm may appear deformed and be swollen, bruised and bleeding. If this injury is the result of negligence by some other person then you should investigate the possibility of making by talking to an arm injury solicitor about maing a compensation claim.
Symptoms of a forearm fracture include :-
A fall on an outstretched hand may cause the end of the lower arm bone (radius) to fracture just above the wrist. This is known as a Colles fracture.
A humerus fracture is a fracture of the upper arm bone, usually near the shoulder joint. It can occur after a fall or twisting force.
Elbow fractures can involve any of the three bones that make up the joint (radius, ulna, and humerus). Radial neck fractures (the upper end of the radius) occur commonly in active adults after a fall on an outstretched arm. A tender spot develops on the outer side of the elbow and becomes painful when the arm is straightened. X-rays may just show a faint crack in less severe cases.
In treating a broken arm, the doctor may need to move pieces of bone back into their correct positions. This process is called reduction. Depending upon the severity of injury, the patient may or may not need anaesthesia. Those with more serious arm fractures may require surgical repair.
Once the broken bone is back in place, the arm should be immobilised by a cast or splint. It may take from several weeks to several months for the broken arm to heal completely.
Rehabilitation involves gradually increasing activities to restore muscle strength, joint motion and flexibility. Rehabilitation lasts until function is restored.
Some of the most severe arm injuries occur as a result of road traffic accidents with motorcyclists and pedestrians being at particular risk. All road users owe other road users a duty of care and if you have suffered a serious arm injury as a result of negligence by a driver our specialist personal injury solicitors should be able to obtain compensation on your behalf.
Accidents in the workplace can lead to serious arm injuries. The manufacturing and mining industries in particular are fraught with potential dangers. Your employer is responsible for ensuring that a safe system of work is in operation. Sometimes employers fail to meet this duty of care and an employee is injured as a result. Victims of arm injuries caused by employer negligence have a legal right to bring compensation claims.
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a result of continuous repetitive movement with insufficient rest breaks. These types of hand and arm injuries are virtually always work-related. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of feeling in the hand and/or arm that is performing the repetitive motion. Anyone who believes they are suffering from RSI should see a physician as soon as possible. An official medical diagnosis is critical for bringing a successful RSI claim.
Another common cause of arm injuries is slipping, tripping or falling. Some examples include tripping on a pothole or slipping on a spilt liquid in a grocery store. The owner or occupier of the property where the accident occurred may be held legally responsible for injuries incurred by those who could have been reasonably expected to enter or use the property. It does not matter if the accident occurred on public or private property. The individual responsible for maintaining the premises may also be held accountable in certain situations.
Amputations can be either complete or incomplete. A complete amputation is when the body part has been completely severed. With an incomplete amputation, some soft tissue remains, keeping the body part connected to the rest of the body. An amputation can be the result of a surgery where the amputation was necessary to save the victim's life. The other type of amputation is called a "traumatic amputation," which is the result of some type of accident or violence.
When a person hears the word amputation, the loss of an arm or leg is what typically comes to mind. However, there are many other body parts that are vulnerable to amputation. Feet and hands are two obvious examples, but noses, ears, toes and fingers can also be amputated.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For telephone advice at no cost from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our arm injury solicitors will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.
An arm injury occurs from the shoulder to the fingers and can include the elbow, the wrist and the hand. Injuries can occur to the muscles, the bones, the tendons, the ligaments, and the joints. The major types of arm injuries include:
Symptoms of arm injuries include pain, (mild, moderate and severe), bruising of the arm, swelling of the affected area, inability to move part of the arm and tenderness to the affected area.
In a shoulder injury, you can get dislocation, separation and direct blow injuries to the shoulders. You can find it difficult to raise the arm above shoulder height. Such injuries are difficult to heal and they are sometimes treated with surgery. A sling is usually what it takes after surgery or without surgery in order to keep the shoulder in a solid position.
In an upper arm injury, you can rupture your biceps tendon so that the muscle bulges in the forearm. This is usually treated with surgery. At the level of the elbow, you can get a sprained elbow, a dislocated elbow or a "tennis elbow" also called lateral epicondylitis. It happens with repetitive injury of the elbow and is treated with an elbow brace that keeps the lateral epicondyle stable.
The radius and ulna, the two bones in the forearm can easily get fractured during falls in which you reach out to catch yourself. It is usually the distal aspect of these bones that get fractured and the radius gets fractured more commonly than the ulna. The treatment is reduction, if necessary, followed by casting for about six weeks, younger if you are a child.
The wrist itself consists of many small bones that do not easily get fractured. The most common fracture of the wrist is a fracture of the navicular bone, which causes pain and grinding in the joint itself. This heals poorly because there is not enough circulation to this bone to allow it to heal well.
The hand can be fractured or crushed in certain injuries. The metacarpals are relatively well protected by the meat of the hand but the fingers can easily get fractured or dislocated by injury.
The doctor can diagnose arm injuries by doing a careful history and physical examination of the affected area, including areas of tenderness and range of motion. X-rays or MRI scans of the arm can show damage to bones, tendons and muscles and can direct whether or not surgery is necessary. Most arm injuries do not need surgery, with the exception of rotator cuff injuries, elbow fractures and certain hand fractures.
Home treatment of arm injuries is necessary in many cases. You need to apply ice right away to an affected area of injury and rest the arm as much as possible. Playing through injuries only makes them worse. You can apply an ace bandage on the elbow, forearm or wrist and hand in order to keep them stable and ease pain. Keep the arm elevated so as to keep an excess of blood from pooling into the injury. Local heat is used later to help the muscles and tendons heal.
LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 339 958The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here