Where is Your Injury?
Hover over the diagram below and select where you have been injured.
Head / Skull / TBI’s / Concussions
The head or skull consists of a total of 22 bones. These are categorized into eight cranial bones and 14 facial bones. The primary function for both is to protect the brain and vital facial areas. Injury to this area can be extremely serious and have lifelong consequences such as chronic pain, disability, and often requires extensive treatment. Brain injuries and skull fractures can range in severity and commonly result from significant falls, accidents involving head trauma, and penetrating wounds or gunshots. Symptoms can vary greatly, but following any head injury, if you or a loved one are experiencing severe headaches, slurred speech, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, or sensitivity to light, seek medical attention immediately and contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.
Facial Injuries
Facial trauma following an accident can involve any number of serious injuries, including bruising, lacerations, burns, and facial fractures to areas like the nasal bones, ocular cavity, and jaw bone. Facial injuries can also potentially cause scarirng, disfigurement, and loss of function. For instance damage to the eye can result in varying degrees of blindness or trauma to the mouth may lead to difficulty moving your jaw. With such a wide array of symptoms and possible injuries, facial trauma can require various treatment options, from bandaging, icing, and medications to manage pain to complicated surgeries. Additionally, the emotional and psychological effects of a facial injury are equally serious. If you suffered a facial injury in an accident, don’t wait to call a personal injury lawyer to review your right to a financial recovery.
Neck & Whiplash Injuries
Numerous muscles, tendons, and ligaments are at work in the neck and can become damaged through strain or sprain, commonly referred to as whiplash. Whiplash and other neck injuries are fairly common after motor vehicle accidents or any sudden force that causes unrestrained, rapid forward and backward movement of the head and neck. Symptoms can range from mild to severe pain, limited range of motion, and muscle spasms to feelings of fatigue, dizziness, and blurred vision. While not typically life-threatening, neck injuries can lead to periods of partial disability, significant pain and discomfort as well as economic expenses, including medical care and lost income. Neck and whiplash injuries are not always immediately apparent, but it is always a good idea to be examined after an accident and contact an attorney to preserve your rights.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine consists of 33 vertebrae and functions to stabilize and protect the spinal cord, which carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Spinal cord injuries usually result from a sudden impact, which destroys the cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. An incomplete injury indicates that the spine’s ability to transmit messages is not entirely lost. People with incomplete spinal injuries can retain some degree of function below the point of the injury. A complete injury, on the other hand, means a total loss of function. An individual’s loss of motor and sensory function is usually categorized as quadriplegia, paraplegia, or triplegia. Additionally, people who suffer spinal cord injuries will most likely have severe medical complications, including chronic pain, increased susceptibility to respiratory and heart problems, and require life-long medical care.
Back Injuries
The back is made of bones, muscles, and other tissues extending from your neck to your pelvis. Back injuries can result from playing sports, jarring car accidents, or significant falls. Any of these incidents can injure tendons, ligaments or muscle resulting in back pain. A traumatic back injury may also cause the spine to become overly compressed, which in turn can cause an intervertebral disc to rupture or herniate, exerting pressure on the spinal cord. When spinal nerves become compressed and irritated, back pain and sciatica may result. These injuries can cause considerable pain and limit your movement, which may prevent you from working or enjoying your everyday life. Treatments vary but may include medications, rest, physical therapy, and/or surgery.
Shoulder / Collarbone
The collarbone, or clavicle, is a curved bone that runs from the middle of your to your shoulder. It connects the shoulder blade and shoulder to the front of the chest. Because of its position close to the surface of the skin, this area is susceptible to fracture. Shoulder separations and broken collarbone injuries are common sports injuries as well as in all manner of accidents involving direct blows to the shoulder area or breaking a fall with an outstretched hand. Symptoms include pain in the upper chest wall and shoulder, limited arm mobility, and bone popping or clicking with movement. Shoulder and collarbone injuries usually require immobilization as well as physical therapy. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to reset the clavicle with pins and screws.
Arm / Elbow
Three bones make up the arm: the humerus, the radius, and the ulna. There are also numerous muscles and tendons that allow for a wide range of movement at the shoulder, wrist, and elbow. Injuries to the arm and elbow can stem from various scenarios and may involve contusions, strains and sprains, dislocations, and fractures. Arm and elbow injuries usually result from direct and forceful contact, sudden falls, or by twisting, jamming, or bending the limb abnormally. Pain may be sudden and severe, requiring long periods in a cast, physical therapy, and possible surgery. With the need for such considerable recovery time, people suffering from arm and elbow injuries may be out of work for a significant period, leading to substantial financial losses.
Hand / Wrist Injuries
The hand consists of 27 distinct bones, including eight bones within wrist, not to mention numerous ligaments, tendons, and joints, making hands and wrists one of the most intricate areas of the human body. This also means there is ample opportunity for injury. The most common traumatic injuries to the wrist and hands are joint dislocations, sprains, muscle strains, broken bones, tendon inflammation, and ligament tears. These injuries are typically caused by blunt trauma or sharp objects causing a penetrating injury or laceration. Because of the hand and wrist’s vital function in our lives, any serious injury needs to be appropriately addressed . Fractures can limit your mobility or ability to perform even the simplest tasks, and even minor cuts and burns can lead to risky infections.
Chest Injuries
Chest injuries usually refer to damage to the ribs, upper abdomen, lungs, blood vessels, heart, muscles, soft tissues, and breastbone. Commonly seen in instances that involve blunt trauma, like vehicle accidents, chest injuries are often serious or life-threatening because they can interfere with breathing, circulation, or internal bleeding. Symptoms of a chest injury may include considerable pain, shortness of breath, respiratory failure, dangerously low blood pressure and signs of shock. Because of the potential gravity of a chest injury, medical treatment should be sought immediately.
Internal & Abdominal Injuries
The abdomen can suffer from various types of blunt or penetrating trauma in virtually any serious accident, such as motor vehicle collisions, falls, or being struck by an object. Injuries may include damage to the abdominal wall or organs like the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, stomach, small intestine, colon, ureters, and bladder. Injuries to this area are at significant risk for internal bleeding, which may not be immediately apparent, so all abdominal traumas should be taken seriously. Symptoms of a serious abdominal injury include pain or tenderness, abdominal distention or swelling, changes or difficulty with urination and bowel function, bloating, blood pressure changes, weak or rapid pulse, clammy skin, and nausea. Once you seek appropriate medical attention, reach out to a lawyer to review your legal options.
Hip / Pelvis
The hip is the joint where your femur meets your pelvis. There are two main parts: a ball at the end of the femur, which fits in a socket in the pelvis. This is what’s known as a ball-and-socket joint. The hip is generally very stable and allows for a wide range of motion. It takes a considerable force to harm the hip area, but common injuries include strains, bursitis, dislocations, and fractures. Hip and pelvic fractures are especially painful given their location surrounding vulnerable regions of the body. They are frequently caused by serious car accidents, particularly in pedestrian-involved collisions or falls from significant heights, specifically among older individuals. Hip and pelvic injuries require immediate medical treatment to prevent permanent damage and the recovery time necessary in hip and pelvic injuries is considerable.
Leg / Knee
The legs are comprised of various bones, blood vessels, muscles, and other tissue. They are vital to a person’s mobility and ability to stand. Common leg injuries include sprains, dislocations, and fractures. These can affect the leg as a whole or be localized to a specific area like the knee. Bones, cartilage, ligaments, and fluid make up the knee joint and make it one of the most commonly injured areas of the human body. Knee injuries typically result from the sudden twisting or tearing that coincide with serious accidents and include fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains, meniscal tears, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries, medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Damage to the knee can be very painful and necessitate significant medical care. Treatment will depend on the precise cause and could include surgical repair or possible knee replacement.
Foot / Ankle
Each foot and ankle is comprised of more than 50 bones and over a hundred ligaments and assorted tendons. Because there are so many small and intricated moving parts to the foot and ankle’s function, even a small fracture, sprain, or tear could cause significant hardship. Foot and ankle injuries can happen as a result of landing awkwardly after a trip or fall, the sudden impact of a car crash, heavy objects falling on the foot, or anything that would cause a violent twisting or overextension. The precise treatment will rely on the extent of the damage but may include rest, icing, compression, oral or injected anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, immobilization, and potential surgery to repair tendons and supporting structures of the foot.