Greenfield Car Accident Injury Attorneys

A car accident can leave a Greenfield resident with injuries ranging from painful facial fractures to serious spinal damage. Some injuries are immediately obvious, while others, like nerve damage, may not surface until days or weeks later. Understanding these injuries, their treatment, and how Iowa law allows accident victims to pursue compensation is an important first step for any Greenfield resident working through the aftermath of a crash.

Crushed Vertebrae from a Greenfield Car Accident

When someone suffers crushed vertebrae, it means the bones of the spine become compressed and fractured. This can happen in the lower back as well as other parts of the spine, and it takes a great deal of force for this type of injury to occur. A vertebral compression fracture is often the result of a serious crash, such as a head-on collision or an accident where the victim gets pinned inside the vehicle. Sometimes it happens when a passenger car occupant is struck by something much larger, such as a semi truck.

Symptoms of Crushed Vertebrae

The most common symptom of crushed vertebrae is pain in the injured area, but the pain can spread elsewhere if the injury affects the spinal cord, including other parts of the back, the neck, the hips, the stomach, and the thighs, depending on where the injury occurred. Patients might experience tingling, weakness, and numbness. In the most severe cases, a Greenfield accident victim who suffers crushed vertebrae may also suffer damage to the spinal cord, causing loss of feeling and paralysis.

Treatment for Crushed Vertebrae

Treatment for a compression fracture of the spine usually starts with conservative measures such as rest, a back brace, ice or heat therapy, and medication. Different types of medication may help, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain, and sometimes muscle relaxants as well.

When there are other serious injuries or the symptoms are significant, a Greenfield patient may be admitted to the hospital. Surgery is often required if the crushed vertebrae are unstable or compressing the spinal cord. Following surgery, and sometimes even without surgery, a patient may undergo physical therapy aimed at strengthening the muscles and preventing further injury. Most of the time crushed vertebrae heal without complications, though recovery takes longer when the injury is severe, and it is possible for a Greenfield resident to suffer long-term complications.

What Damages Can Be Sought After a Crushed Vertebrae Injury

If another party caused the accident that led to crushed vertebrae, Iowa law permits a Greenfield accident victim to pursue a liability claim against the at-fault driver to recover damages. The medical costs associated with a vertebral fracture may be recoverable through a car accident claim, and this should include future expenses resulting from the injury, including any long-term care. If the injury involves the spinal cord, damages can be especially substantial.

Medical costs are just one form of compensation an accident claim addresses. It is important to consider other financial losses, such as time missed from work. Whether it is a few weeks or longer, the at-fault driver's insurance company may have to cover lost wages and even lost earning capacity in the case of a permanent and severe injury. With severe injuries, Greenfield victims can also recover damages related to physical and emotional losses, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, and reduced quality of life.

Broken Nose Treatment for Greenfield Accident Victims

A Greenfield accident victim might suffer severe facial injuries, including a broken nose. A broken nose often involves a fracture of the large bone over the bridge of the nose, and typical causes include car accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, sports injuries, falls, or fights.

Symptoms of a Broken Nose

In some cases a broken nose is easily diagnosed because of extreme swelling or a crooked appearance. In other cases, it may not be clear whether the nose is actually broken or only bruised and sore. A Greenfield resident who believes they have a broken nose should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Symptoms that may indicate a broken nose include difficulty breathing, mucus discharge from the nostrils, blocked nasal passages, bruising around the nose or eyes, pain or tenderness when touching the nose, bleeding from the nose, swelling of the nose and surrounding facial areas, and a misshapen or crooked appearance.

Certain accompanying symptoms could signal a more serious injury and warrant an immediate trip to the emergency room. These include being unable to stop the bleeding, a clear or watery fluid coming from the nostrils, loss of consciousness, nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, and a nose that is clearly twisted or disfigured, not simply swollen. A doctor will examine the nose and any other concerning areas and may order X-rays or CT scans to properly diagnose all potential injuries.

Treating a Broken Nose

In some minor fractures, there is little a doctor needs to do beyond providing instructions for self-care at home, such as applying ice to the area and taking over-the-counter pain medication, along with a follow-up appointment to check progress. In more serious breaks, a doctor may perform a manual realignment, using local anesthesia and special tools to realign displaced bones or cartilage, followed by packing and splinting to keep the bones in place. Severe cases involving multiple breaks, or cases where treatment was delayed too long, may require surgery, and reconstructive surgery is sometimes necessary if the nasal septum has been damaged.

If a Greenfield resident's broken nose is the result of an accident or the negligence of another person, they may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. More complicated injuries can cause significant financial distress, and an attorney can help exercise these rights and recover fair compensation.

Nerve Damage After a Greenfield Car Accident

An Iowa car accident attorney can help sort through the legal issues left behind by a careless driver who caused a crash. For pain relief, treatment from a doctor or chiropractor should be sought. One injury that slows down many Greenfield accident victims is nerve damage, which can lead to such debilitating pain that a person can no longer participate in activities they enjoyed prior to the accident. The bills and damages associated with this type of injury may warrant filing a claim with a car accident attorney.

Understanding Nerve Impingement

Nerve impingement, also commonly known as a pinched nerve, is a condition that develops when a nerve is damaged from being compressed by hard tissue, such as bone or cartilage. Common causes of this compression include a bulging disc, a bone spur, or a misaligned joint in the spine.

Nerve impingement is not only painful at the site of the pinched nerve, it can also hinder the function and mobility of adjoining muscles and joints. A pinched nerve can result in a Greenfield resident experiencing a wide range of uncomfortable sensations, including tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and pain that may radiate to other parts of the body.

Although it is not one of the more obvious signs of trauma from a crash, nerve impingement can be debilitating because of the constant pain the victim experiences. It can help to think of the nervous system as a highway made up of many exit ramps that allow nerve signals to move freely to other parts of the body. When one of those exit ramps is affected by a pinched nerve, it can disrupt proper function and cause ongoing pain or numbness.