Collarbone Fracture After a Slip and Fall

If a Fall Caused a Collarbone Fracture After a Slip and Fall, You May Be Entitled to Compensation Under the Law: Slip and Fall Lawyers in Indiana Explain

Falls can cause a variety of different injuries. Some of these injuries are a minor ache, while other injuries could be catastrophic. One of the most painful injuries that most people may not associate with a fall is a collarbone fracture. However, orthopedic research considers a collar fracture to be fairly common accounting for 5% of all adult fractures. The collarbone (or clavicle) connects the shoulder to the breastbone. The force a body receives during a slip and fall accident can be so strong that this bone fractures when a victim comes down at the right angle.

Here at Shaw Law, we know that a reckless, careless, and negligent landowner, tenant, or property maintenance company could cause serious personal injuries to innocent people if their property is not properly maintained. While most individuals or businesses do properly maintain their properties, unfortunately far too many do not. When innocent people are seriously injured and suffer a collarbone fracture after a slip and fall, our experienced slip and fall lawyers in Indiana can help recover them compensation.

Prevalence of Collarbone Fractures

According to a study quoted by the National Institute of Health, sixty-eight percent (68%) of broken collarbones occurred in males aged 15 to 24. But at the ages of 65 and above, females sustained more broken collarbones than males. Same level falls and bicycle accidents were the most common injury mechanism.

The elderly, those with vitamin D deficiencies, and those with osteoporosis, are especially prone to bone fractures because their age and these conditions make them frail. A slip and fall can be more dangerous for them and lead to a broken bone because they are not physically equipped to handle the impact of a fall as a younger, healthier person might be able to do.

But that is not to say that younger people are immune to breaking bones after a slip and fall. Even the strongest worker might not be safe when there is a slippery floor, a broken step, or a hole in the sidewalk that should not be there. Unsafe living conditions and unsafe working conditions provide all too many opportunities for someone to accidentally take a spill and snap their collarbone.

How a Collarbone Fracture Can Occur in a Fall

A collarbone fracture after a slip and fall may not sound common, but it is in certain types of falls. The most common way for it to occur is when a person is falling and puts his or her arm out to break a fall. Another way is for a person to fall down stairs or roll.

Some of the most common ways that a slip and fall could result in a collarbone fracture include the following:

• Snow and ice
• Wet floors
• Spilled products
• Debris on the floor
• Excessive soap or wax on the floor
• Stacks of objects on the floor like stocking materials
• Falls on improperly constructed stairs
• Lack of a handrail or a broken handrail
• Uneven flooring
• Broken flooring
• Many other common causes

If you or a loved one suffered a collarbone fracture after a slip and fall, call our experienced slip and fall lawyers in Indiana at (260) 777-7777 to learn how we can help protect your rights to compensation.

Understanding Collarbone Fractures

When the bone fractures (or breaks) and does not pierce the skin, it is known as a closed fracture. A closed fracture like this may heal on its own if it is non-displaced, meaning if the ends of the bone are still lined up. But this does not mean a person should not seek medical attention, as it is nearly impossible to know whether the fracture is non-displaced or not without special imaging. A visit to the doctor or to the hospital will confirm if there was a broken bone using an X-ray.

A compound fracture is more severe. This type of fracture means that the bone is broken through the skin. This usually means that it has damaged nearby structures. These kinds of collarbone breaks are fixed with surgical techniques using metal screws and plates. Sometimes these plates and screws are removed with another surgery, but often they are permanent fixtures to the body.

Prognosis for Collarbone Fractures

Adults usually take about six to eight weeks to heal. Children’s collarbones heal much faster, and only take about three to six weeks. Although the bone may heal in this relatively short amount of time, the shoulder itself still needs to recover and to regain its strength and flexibility. As the months go by, these things should also improve.

A physical therapist is a movement specialist who can help the patient in their recovery by providing strength building and flexibility exercises. This is an important step in the recovery process, because it helps to decrease any atrophy that may have occurred from inactivity. Without physical therapy, a person may lose range of motion in his or her shoulder.