Broken Femur Injury Accident Attorney in STL

The femur (thighbone) is the strongest and longest bone in the human body. The femur is responsible for supporting the majority of the weight of the human body and is vital to mobility. It takes a great deal of force to break the femoral shaft, yet femur fractures are often reported in auto accidents, work-related accidents, and falls.

If you suffered a broken femur, you already know the immense pain and recovery challenges this injury brings. If someone else was at fault for the accident that caused your injury, you could be entitled to financial compensation for your damages, including your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses.

To learn more, give our St. Louis broken femur injury accident lawyers a call at (314) 208-2808 or CONTACT us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

Types of Femur Fractures

Femur fractures can vary greatly depending on the severity of the break. Medical professionals classify femur fractures based on where the break occurs. When discussing femur fractures, the femur is divided into thirds: the distal, middle, and proximal sections.

The distal section of the femur is the portion closest to the hip, while the proximal is the section closes to the knee. Your medical professional will refer to your distal femur fracture, proximal femur fracture, or middle femur fracture depending on the location of the break.

A femur fracture is also classified depending on the pattern of the break. Several classifications are as follows:

  • Open Fracture: An open femur fracture is the most significant and severe type of femur fracture. An open fracture occurs when the bone breaks and pierces the skin, leaving bone fragments exposed. An open fracture (a.k.a. compound fracture) is associated with damage to surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
  • Spiral Fracture: A spiral fracture is identified when the break circles the bone. Spiral fractures are often the result of twisting the leg.
  • Oblique Fracture: This type of fracture is seen in x-rays; it is characterized by a diagonal fracture lines across the femur.
  • Transverse Fracture: When the fracture line is horizontal, this is known as a transverse break.
  • Comminuted Fracture: This fracture refers to a femur break in which the femur is left in three or more pieces.

Femur Fracture Diagnosis & Treatment

Femur fractures are generally identified by x-rays or CT scans, which are ordered by your doctor. Most femur fractures are accompanied by immediate pain and decreased mobility. If your femoral fracture is the result of an accident, your medical professionals will also benefit from information including how fast the vehicles were traveling, whether you were wearing your seatbelt, and whether the airbags deployed.

The majority of femur fractures require surgery to repair. Femur surgeries come in two main types:

  • Plates and Screws: Certain femur breaks will be repaired by inserting plates and screws to hold the bone fragments in place.
  • Intramedullary Rod: Other femur fractures require a long rod to be inserted through the middle of the bone in order to hold the bone fragments in place. Fractures that are long enough to extend into the hip socket or knee will often require an intramedullary rod to repair.

Femur fractures will require a substantial amount of recovery time. In addition to rest, most femur fractures will require physical therapy to build up strength and mobility. With any femur fracture where hardware is placed in the leg, the victim will be at an increased risk of future infection, hardware failure, blood clots, incorrect alignment, nerve damage, fat embolism, or hardware irritation.

Intramedullary Rod Repair for Broken Femurs

If the femur is broken, orthopedic surgeons often use an intramedullary rod to repair the bone. Inserting an intramedullary rod is a highly invasive procedure in which a metal rod is inserted/hammered into the middle of the thigh bone, spearing together the two pieces of bone forced apart by the injury. In order to secure the rod so the bone may heal, interlocking screws are then placed through the bone and rod to secure the rod from future movement.

Following this invasive procedure, patients have a long road to recovery. Periods of immobility may last in excess of six months, followed by intensive rehabilitation therapy and chronic pain. The patient will also have a lifelong scar associated with the incision necessary to insert the metal rod into the bone.

Patients may also experience one or more of some of the following complications:

  • Implant failures
  • Compartment syndrome
  • Infection
  • Femoral non-union
  • Shortening
  • Heterotopic ossification
  • Irritation over screw sites
  • Screws may back out over time

It should also be noted that some people are bothered by the idea of this metal rod being inside their body for the remainder of their life. It is reported that people feel the nail when the weather is cold and in various other circumstances of daily life. If the rod bothers the patient, the patient has the right to have the rod removed after the bone heals if they wish.

What to Do If You Suffer a Broken Femur Injury

If you suffer a broken femur, you should immediately consult with a trauma and/or orthopedic doctor to address your injury. A significant injury of this nature will impact all areas of your life for a substantial period of time. If you suffer a femoral break as the result of the fault of another person—for example, in a car accident, semi-truck accident, or slip and fall accident—you should also consult with a qualified personal injury attorney to ensure your future is protected.

The recovery process associated with a femoral fracture can be a nightmare. You may experience lost wages and repercussions with your place of employment due to taking time off to heal, an inability to return to your previous line of work, and massive medical bills and future medical treatment associated with future complications, as well as many other harms and losses for which you may be entitled to reimbursement.

Common Causes of Femur Fractures

Motor vehicle accidents—including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents—are the most common causes of femur injuries, but broken femurs can also be caused in other ways, such as bicycle accidents, skateboarding accidents, and slip and falls. Sometimes, a broken femur is the result of a true accident. However, if you’ve suffered a femur fracture due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness, you deserve to receive compensation for your losses.

Chris Dixon STL Personal Injury Lawyer
Chris Dixon, STL Femur Accident Lawyer

If you believe you have grounds to file a personal injury claim involving a femoral fracture, it’s important to hire a St. Louis femur fracture attorney who has previous experience handling broken femur cases. In addition to money for the medical bills you’ve already accrued due to your femur injury, you may be entitled to compensation for future medical or therapy costs and a reduction or loss of future earnings due to your injury. If you hire a personal injury attorney who lacks specific knowledge of femur injuries and broken femur cases, you could end up with a settlement amount that’s thousands less than what you deserve.

At The Dixon Injury Firm, we have the knowledge necessary to assess your specific situation and accurately estimate the worth of your broken thigh lawsuit. We can obtain any relevant police or accident reports, review your medical records, interview witnesses, hire expert witnesses, and negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. If necessary, we are fully prepared to litigate your broken femur case in Missouri state court.

The Dixon Injury Firm
9666 Olive Blvd #202,
St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone:(314) 208-2808