Shoulder Bone Fractures and Other Injuries in Missouri & Kansas
As a Kansas City personal injury lawyer, our law firm has served many clients who have suffered shoulder injuries and bone fractures in a variety of circumstances throughout Missouri and Kansas. The injuries have ranged from torn rotator cuffs and other serious soft tissue injuries to breaks or fractures of shoulder bones, including the shoulder blade (scapula) or collarbone (clavicle).
Shoulder injuries can be sustained in a slip and fall accident or a high-speed car collision. Bike crashes, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian injuries are also situations where shoulder injuries may arise.
Regardless of how your shoulder injured happened, you have the right to assert a personal injury claim for your damages if another person is at fault.
A shoulder injury is a serious injury that can impact your life for months or may result in permanent impairments. Before you file a personal injury claim for a shoulder injury, you should consult with an experienced law firm that handles shoulder injuries and fractures. Please call our Kansas City shoulder injury lawyer today for a free, no obligation consultation at 816-203-0143.
Types Of Shoulder Injuries from Accidents in Kansas City
The shoulder is an important area of your body. When it is injured, it impacts one’s ability to perform many daily living activities and can result in ongoing pain and stress. There are several different kinds of shoulder injuries, including:
- Broken or fractured shoulder bones. Shoulder bone fractures typically involve breaks in the scapula (shoulder blade), humerus (top of upper arm bone), or the clavicle (collarbone).
- Dislocations of the shoulder. Shoulder dislocations may occur when the bones on each side of a joint do not line up properly. Dislocations of a shoulder can involve any of three different shoulder joints.
- Dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint (collarbone joint) is also referred to as a "separated shoulder".
- A dislocation of a sternoclavicular joint interrupts the connection between the clavicle and the breastbone (sternum).
- Lastly, the glenohumeral joint (also known as the ball and socket joint of one's shoulder) can be dislocated either anteriorly or posteriorly, depending on the circumstances.
- Rotator cuff tears and other soft tissue injuries. These injuries include torn ligaments, tendons, muscles and joint capsules of the shoulder, such as a rotator cuff tear or labral tear. Soft tissue injuries often get downplayed by insurance adjusters. However, these injuries to your shoulder can be serious and may require surgery, months of rehabilitation, and may even result in permanent limitations.
Causes of Shoulder Injuries in Kansas City Accidents
Shoulder fractures can be caused by a variety of mechanisms. For example, fractures to the clavicle or proximal humerus are typically caused by a direct blow to that particular bone. This trauma can result in different kinds of injury accidents, including:
- A trip and fall or slip or fall
- Car accident
- Bike or motorcycle accident
- Other type of motor vehicle collision.
By contrast, fractures to the scapula occur less often because of the protection by the chest and the surrounding muscles. Therefore, fractures of the scapula are often associated with high-speed trauma and other injuries to the chest area.
Shoulder dislocations and rotator cuff injuries are typically caused when the arm is twisted outward above the level of the shoulder. Again, these injuries often occur when a direct blow is made to the shoulder or in a fall. Shoulder separations can also be caused by slip and falls or by lifting heavy objects.
Treatment for Shoulder Fractures and Shoulder Injuries
If you are involved in an accident, there are certain symptoms that indicate a shoulder fracture or other injury. For instance, you may experience pain, bruising, swelling, deformity or a grinding impairment, you likely have injured your shoulder in a way that requires prompt medical attention. You should seek medical attention quickly after an accident so that your injuries are treated and properly documented.
A fracture to your shoulder will likely be diagnosed by use of an x-ray or by physical examination, sometimes additional more complex imaging is necessary as well. Clavicle fractures are usually treated without surgery. However, surgery may be necessary if there is a compound fracture that has put the bone out of place or that has punctured through the skin. If surgery is required for a broken clavicle, it will usually involve the use of plate, screws or rods.
Similarly, the fracture of a humerus can typically be treated without surgery so long as the fragments are not displaced. If the fragments of the humerus have been moved, surgery may be required and similar hardware may be employed. A fracture of a scapula is also usually treated without surgery, but occasionally a complex fracture of the scapula will require both surgery and the use of plates and screws.
Shoulder dislocations and rotator cuff injuries may also be treated with surgery, which involves repair of the ligaments or other torn soft tissues.
What Damages Can I Recover For a Shoulder Injury?
Like any personal injury claim, if your shoulder injury was caused by another person's negligence, a legal claim arises to recover compensation for your damages. Such damages may include the following:
- Past and future medical bills,
- Past and future lost wages,
- Past and future pain and suffering, and
- Permanent impairments or other disabilities.
The value of your shoulder injury claim will depend upon the above factors, as well as the amount of insurance available. Of course, prior to recovering any compensation, you will need to be able to prove who was negligent and how their negligence caused your injuries. If the other party contends that you were at least partially negligent, this can either reduce or even eliminate your right to recovery under a legal doctrine known as “comparative fault”.
Call Our Kansas City Shoulder Injury Lawyer for Help
Shoulder injuries are serious legal matters and for that reason, you should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney about your shoulder injury claim. He or she can help navigate you through the complicated legal process of asserting a shoulder injury claim in Missouri or Kansas.
Our Kansas City shoulder injury attorney is ready to assist you, answer your questions, and provide guidance as to the next steps for your road to recovery. Please call us today at 816-203-0143 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We look forward to assisting you with maximum recovery for your shoulder injury claim.
