The Southern California Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr. frequently represents clients who have suffered bone fractures caused by a serious motorcycle accident.
A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. There are many different types of fractures. Some involve more pain than others and require more time to heal. Others may not heal completely, instead leaving the accident victim with a life-long disability. Understanding the significance of different types of fractures is essential to making sure an injured plaintiff is compensated for motorcycle accident injury in Los Angeles.
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Common types of motorcycle accident fractures
A motorcycle accident fracture must be treated immediately to ensure proper healing and avoid nerve damage, blood vessel damage, and bone infections known as osteomyelitis.
Fractures are categorized as either:
- Displaced— the bone is broken into two or more parts
- Non-displaced—the bone does not move out of alignment
- Open—the broken bone breaks through the skin
- Closed—the skin is not broken
Vertebral fractures
Our motorcycle accident lawyer in Los Angeles knows that a fractured vertebrae is a common motorcycle accident injury in Los Angeles. The bones housing the spinal cord have protrusions called pedicles and processes which project to the sides and back of the spine. A fracture of these protrusions can cause a piece of bone to break loose and lodge against the spinal cord, creating bruising or pressure. This can cause paralysis of the entire body below the injury, which may become permanent, causing paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Fractures to the main body of the vertebra can also inflict damage to the spinal cord. Upper vertebrae in the neck region are smaller and more easily broken than bones in the lower back, which can bear more weight and do not require the flexibility needed to move the head and neck. In the chest region, the spinal canal is smaller than other areas, increasing the risk of spinal cord injury from a fracture.
Skull fractures
A skull fracture may be a sign of brain injury and should be examined carefully. Some skull fractures can be quite serious. A comminuted skull fracture is one in which the bone is shattered into several fragments. Surgery is often required to remove pieces of bone that have become embedded in the brain. In a depressed skull fracture, pieces of bone press on the brain and must be removed to relieve pressure on the brain. Finally, basilar skull fractures, breaks at the base of the skull, can cause blood to fill up in the sinuses and cerebrospinal fluid to leak from the nose and ears, and may result in nerve damage to the cranial and facial nerves.