Any type of serious injury could cause you to experience pain, accumulate medical bills and deal with many other difficulties that you may not have imagined. Unfortunately, planning for such an event can prove challenging because of the numerous factors that often cannot be accounted for until the incident occurs. As a result, even if you have a plan for dealing with an injury, you may find it lacking.
If another person caused a car accident that led to your suffering an open fracture — also known as a compound fracture — you may find it useful to consider your legal options for seeking compensation. Open fractures in particular can cause serious complications, and car accidents are among the leading causes of such injuries.
Risk of infection
Because an open fracture occurs when a broken bone pierces the skin, a substantial risk for infection exists. Individuals should always consider this type of injury as contaminated because the environment outside the body poses considerable hazards. Even the bacteria on the skin can significantly increase the risk of infection as it could easily enter the body through the fracture site. Of course, the exact likelihood of this scenario depends on various factors, including the severity of the fracture and where the injury took place.
Treating an open fracture
Because various bacteria and other environmental contaminants could enter your body through the fracture site and put you at risk of bone infection, taking action soon after the injury is vital. Due to the severity of this type of injury, surgery often stands as the best course of treatment. Some medical professionals feel that surgery should occur within six hours of the injury, but some research suggests that a 24-hour window is acceptable.
A surgical cleaning could help reduce the risk of infection. If you do suffer an infection, your situation could become significantly worse. Treating infections related to open fractures may require multiple surgical procedures and result in long-term issues.
Recovery
Recovering from an open fracture can take a considerable amount of time, and if an infection occurs, you may find yourself suffering for even longer. Because you may not have considered complications associated with this type of injury, any emergency plans you made may not cover all of your needs, especially when it comes to handling the financial aspects of your situation. You may wish to look into seeking compensation for your injuries by filing a personal injury claim against the party or parties deemed liable for the resulting damages.
