Hip Injuries from a Car Accident
Hip Injury Lawyers Pursuing Just Compensation for Your Injuries in Hamilton NJ
Car accidents can cause several kinds of injuries because of the jarring impact that occurs during the accident. Some injuries are evident from the moment you are hurt and will require immediate attention, such as a hip dislocation or fracture. Sometimes, in the moments following the accident, you may feel fine, other than being somewhat jittery due to the circumstances. Our bodies have over 20 kinds of endorphins released during moments of stress, excitement, or danger. Those endorphins can mask the pain of any injury you may have, preventing you from realizing you are injured. But after a few days, you may feel sharp pains in your hip and gluteal area when you sit, squat, pivot on one foot, or stand for more than a few minutes. You could have a hip injury and must go to the doctor immediately.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at Cohen & Riechelson are well equipped to help with your claim for compensation for hip injuries suffered in an accident in New Jersey. Our lawyers have assisted victims of different types of accidents who have been injured in their hips, shoulders, spines, backs, necks, and other parts of the body, while working towards recovering just monetary compensation in Pennington, Edison, Ewing, South Brunswick, Willingboro, Mount Holly, Trenton, Hamilton, Princeton, Mercer County, and Middlesex County, NJ. Call (609) 528-2596 today for a free initial case evaluation.
Frequent Hip Injuries that Can Occur in Accidents
The most common hip injury resulting from an accident is soft tissue injury. This injury isn’t always detected directly following the accident because it is caused by inflammation that may take hours or days to develop. Soft tissue such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles can swell, putting pressure on the nerves and causing searing pain to the lower back and down the leg.
Hip fractures can be partial or complete. There can be one break or several, the most complicated being a shattered fracture, where there are many small breaks and dislodged bone fragments. A femoral neck fracture can occur one to two inches from the hip joint. It is positioned in one of the weakest points of the hip and can block the blood supply to the femur, possibly causing avascular necrosis, a cell death caused by decreased blood flow to the bones. An intertrochanteric hip fracture occurs further away from the hip joint, about three or four inches. It does not put the blood supply to the lower body at risk and is typically easier to treat. The last type of fracture is intracapsular, which involves the hip’s ball and joint mechanism. This kind of fracture is the most serious because treating it can be challenging, and recovery can take several months.
A labral tear can occur when the labrum, a fibrous ring surrounding the hip joint, is aggravated, strained, or ruptured due to blunt force trauma. It can cause severe pain in the groin, side, or front of the hip.
A dislocated hip is a common hip injury. When the head of the femur is dislodged from the hip socket, the surrounding tissues can rupture as the bone slides out of place. Numbness and tingling, or pain running down the leg to the toes, indicate this kind of injury. Treatment and recovery are uncomplicated, and healing can occur in two to three weeks.
The hip joint has cushions called bursae which are fluid-filled sacs that provide lubrication to the joint. If they become irritated and inflamed, pain shooting down the outer thigh is experienced when getting up from a chair, entering a vehicle, or while in bed at night.
Soft tissue injuries such as inflammation, partial tearing of hip muscles, ligaments, or tendons, or a complete rupture can occur in a car accident and cause mild to serious side effects such as numbness or pain. A pinched nerve can cause a tingling, burning, or stabbing pain sensation from the hip to the buttocks and down the legs. Muscle weakness is also a symptom of nerve damage and, depending on the severity of the injury, may never completely dissipate.
The Road to Recover From a Hip Injury
As with all injuries, hip fractures, dislocations, or soft tissue injuries will heal at varying degrees and speeds, according to the patient. Some patients don’t have any complications, while others require further treatment and convalescence. Only 25% of patients return to the level of activity they experienced before being injured. The most common complications with a hip injury after a car accident fall into two categories: nerve damage and complications associated with being unable to move for an extended period. Nerve damage can be permanent but frequently, with rehabilitation, can improve over time. Complete bed rest or immobility can cause pneumonia, bedsores, and blood clots. Infection is always a concern if surgery is required, but not a frequent problem. Depending upon the injury sustained, vascular blood flow could be jeopardized, causing life-threatening problems such as necrosis or sepsis.
Typical Red Flags to Identify Hip Injuries
Symptoms that are experienced with a hip injury include severe pain in the hip or groin, bruising or swelling around the hip or groin, inability to walk or put weight on the side of the injury, numbness and tingling in the extremities on the side of the injury, and loss of muscle strength.
Hip Injuries and Physical Therapy Options
Hip surgery, common in most hip fracture injuries, requires a long recovery. Within three or four days of the surgery, you should be able to move gently in bed and sit upright for extended periods. After that, the focus will be on getting you out of bed and gradually moving more and more. Movement is the best lubricant for joints, and you are more likely to improve the sooner you get up and get going.
All hip injuries require physical therapy that recovers mobility, strength, and balance. Your therapist or orthopedist can provide the exercises you need to get you back on the road to recovery. Consistent physical therapy has been shown to return previously injured patients to successful functioning and independence.
Don’t Think Twice After Sustaining a Hip Injury
You should seek medical attention immediately if you have any pain or numbness in your hips or legs. Also, you may experience delayed pain hours or days after the accident. Get a physical exam, even if your symptoms are minor. A medical professional can request tests and scans that will determine the source of your discomfort and could provide substantial evidence in your personal injury lawsuit. Then you should contact a personal injury lawyer. The statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident, and you don’t want time to run out.
Duty of Care to Prove Liability in an Accident Causing Hip Injuries
The defendant had to owe you a duty of care to determine liability. That means that a norm or set of rules is expected to be followed to avoid causing injury to other drivers. You must show that the other driver was not exercising reasonable care when they caused the accident. Also, that breach must be the cause of your injury, and you must prove that you have experienced damages for which you are seeking compensation.
What Types of Damages Can I Receive For an Accident That Caused My Hip Injury?
You can seek reimbursement for all costs incurred because of your injury, such as medical expenses, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, medication, lost income, future income, loss of earning potential, and long-term care. In some cases, where necessary, home renovations are needed for wheelchair access and replacement costs for things you cannot do, such as household duties or minor household repairs.
Regarding non-economic compensation, you can seek damages for physical pain, emotional suffering, disability, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life. If the defendant’s actions were egregious and grossly negligent, the court may award punitive damages.
If You Injured Your Hip in an Accident, Contact our Princeton Hip Injury Attorneys Today
The law firm of Cohen & Riechelson has been helping personal injury victims successfully for years throughout Mercer County in towns such as Hamilton, Lambertville, Monroe, Trenton, Windsor, Princeton, Robbinsville, and Lawrence. We are here for you. We will not allow the insurance company to settle your case with a quick, low-ball offer that won’t cover your bills and suffering.
We will interview your healthcare team of doctors and therapists working tirelessly to get you back on your feet and well again. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers will litigate your case tenaciously and we will only be satisfied once justice has been done.
You are not alone. Let us show you what we can do for you and your personal injury case. We accept our personal injury cases on contingency, and if we don’t win, you don’t pay. Call us today at (609) 528-2596 or contact us online and tell us your story.
