Kentucky Hand & Wrist Injuries Attorneys

A broken hand or wrist can hamper every aspect of day-to-day life. Most people rely on their hands for nearly everything. Even a so-called minor hand injury such as a sprain can have a major effect in the short term.

It might surprise you to know that the hand injuries sustained in accidents can have an impact in the long term, as well.

Hand & Wrist Injuries in Slip & Fall Accidents

Many of these hand injuries occur when the accident victim puts their hands out in an attempt to catch themselves. Sadly, few people prevent or mitigate their falls this way. Instead, they simply injure themselves.

Common injuries include:

• Finger fractures
• Metacarpal fractures
• Wrist fractures
• Dislocated fingers
• Sprains, including thumb sprains

Hand & Wrist Injuries in Car Accidents

There are many opportunities for hands and wrists to suffer in car accidents. Your hands are generally in a vulnerable position during the accident. Bracing the steering wheel prior to the crash can tear soft tissues. Glass from the windshield can rain down. A front-end collision can lead to crushed bones.

The most common injuries are:

• Fractures
• Wrist sprains
• Crushing
• Torn ligaments
• Dislocation
• Tendon damage

Long Term Impacts of Hand & Wrist Injuries

There are 27 bones in the hands and wrist, as well as an intricate collection of nerves.

No surprise that an acute hand or wrist injury can lead to long-term chronic pain in the future. These injuries can even make an accident victim more prone to repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

If you lose mobility in your fingers you can lose your ability to type or to lift objects, which can cut you out of a large number of careers. Hand and wrist injuries may cause many clients to need to seek damages for loss of income and loss of earning capacity.

Average Care Costs for Hand & Wrist Injuries

Healthcare costs for hand and wrist injuries can add up fast.

• The initial ER bill can cost $1,000 to $2,000.
• X-rays can cost between $190 and $500.
• Non-surgical treatments could cost $250 to $900.
• Surgical treatment could cost $7,000 to $10,000.
• Physical therapy can cost $1,000 or more.
• If metal hardware needs to be removed, the surgery can cost $2,533 to $11,710.

Health Cost Helper offers some additional insight with some sample cases:

• A twisted ulna bone for $23,000
• A distal radius fracture with four temporary pins for $20,000

It’s easy to see how quickly these costs can add up. If you need additional surgery or help in the future, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, then you could end up paying up to $6,928 to correct the problem.

The sooner you get wrist pain seen to, the better. The initial adrenaline after your accident can keep you from feeling the pain right away. It’s good to get checked out whether you feel pain or not, but if you don’t and start to feel wrist pain later, we encourage you to go to the emergency room right away.