Fractures & Amputations Attorney
in Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara Car Accident Attorney

Drivers and passengers involved in car accidents may be injured in many ways, including being slammed into the structure of the vehicle, being ejected from the vehicle, or being crushed when the vehicle collapses or rolls over onto them. The impact of these types of accidents can cause broken bones and the loss of limbs.

Individuals who suffer complex fractures or amputations in auto accidents face steep medical costs and loss of income while out of work, as well as ongoing disability in case of amputation or fractures that do not heal properly. These victims deserve full compensation for their injuries and associated losses.

At Andrade Law Offices, we advocate on behalf of California residents who have sustained fractures and amputation injuries in motor vehicle accidents caused by other drivers. Our Santa Barbara car accident attorney helps our clients obtain insurance settlements that provide the full compensation they deserve for their losses.

For a free case evaluation, call us. You pay nothing for our legal services unless we win your case.

Broken Bones in Santa Barbara Car Accidents

Fractures are among the most likely injuries to occur in a car accident. Any type of undue pressure on a bone can cause it to break. If a fracture is not severe, a doctor can manually set the broken bone and apply a splint, cast or brace to immobilize the fracture while it heals. Younger victims of simple fractures heal in six to eight weeks, but older adults' bones do not heal as quickly or as well.

A more serious fracture may require surgery that involves inserting pins, screws, or rods to set the broken bone. In cases of multiple broken bones or a severe fracture of a large bone, such as the fibula, a system of weights may be used to realign the bones. Traction, as it is called, requires the patient to be bed-ridden for several weeks. The techniques are known as skeletal and skin traction are less often used today than they were years ago.

There are several types of bone fractures, including:

• Transverse – usually a simple fracture with a right-angle break in the bone.

• Oblique – a fracture with a slanted angle.

• Spiral – a fracture that runs around the axis of the bone.

• Comminuted – a fracture producing many relatively small fragments, i.e., the bone shatters.

• Compound – a fracture that breaks the skin, also called an open fracture.

In most cases, a patient with a broken bone regains full use of the injured body part, but anyone can suffer a complex fracture that never completely heals. Some patients may require physical therapy to regain full use of an injured limb.

When Auto Accidents Cause Amputation

When a person loses an arm, leg, hand, foot, or another body part in a car accident, he or she is said to have suffered a traumatic amputation. In some cases, the damage to a limb or another body part in a car accident is so bad that doctors must remove it. This is known as a surgical amputation.

A driver, passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist who has had a body part severed in a car accident may also suffer from such complications as bleeding, shock, and infection in the aftermath of their injury. In some cases of traumatic amputation, surgeons can reattach the severed body part. In most car accident amputation cases, whether traumatic or surgical, a person who has lost a limb will be prescribed a prosthetic limb and physical therapy to learn how to function and live productively with it.

Unfortunately, in the words of the Amputee Coalition, many insurance companies have low limits on prosthetic coverage. In addition, “high co-pays…increase proportionately as the cost of a device increases. Like a car, the more bells and whistles your prosthesis has, the more expensive it becomes.”

We Seek Full Compensation for
Fracture Victims & Amputees

A Santa Barbara car accident victim who has suffered a complex fracture or the loss of a hand, foot, arm, or leg has a long road to full recovery. A disabling injury may result in permanent loss of earning ability and income. This makes it important to ensure that any insurance settlement takes into account all of the expenses and estimated future losses associated with the accident victim's injury, recovery, and life beyond. It is a mistake to accept an insurance settlement offer before all losses are calculated and projected.

The Andrade Law Office can work with you and your family to ensure that your insurance settlement meets all of the car accident victim's medical expenses and needs. This includes compensation for medical care, property damage, lost income or earning capacity, pain, suffering, and more. In cases of permanent or long-term disability, we work with consultants to develop life care plans with a detailed accounting of projected needs. For amputees, this would include projections for the cost of maintenance, repair, and eventual replacement of the prosthesis.

As part of a car accident investigation, our Santa Barbara injury lawyer works to hold not only the at-fault driver accountable but also any third-party responsible for the accident. Third parties often held liable in car accidents include employers responsible for workers who drive as part of their job (including commercial truck drivers as well as other business travelers), manufacturers liable for faulty vehicles or automotive parts, or local governments or contractors responsible for roadway defects that contributed to an accident.

Contact Our Santa Barbara Personal Injury Lawyer

If the car, motorcycle, or truck accident you or a loved one was involved in resulted in a serious fracture or loss of a body part, our experienced lawyer may be able to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Our Santa Barbara injury attorney can develop and pursue a personal injury lawsuit that accounts for all of your losses and seeks the compensation that you are due. We understand the lengthy, difficult and expensive recovery you face and will work to maximize the compensation made available to help you.

Contact our firm today to discuss your claim.