Hand and Wrist Fracture
The hands and wrists are among the most commonly used and delicate parts of the human body. They are made up of many small bones that can easily fracture in an accident involving physical trauma. A hand or wrist fracture can affect nearly every part of your daily life. We use our hands and wrists to wash our face in the morning, get dressed, eat breakfast, drive to work, shake hands, carry groceries, use a phone, and perform countless ordinary daily activities.
Many people do not realize how much they rely on their hands and wrists until an injury suddenly makes even simple tasks painful or impossible. A serious injury can make it difficult to button a shirt, hold a coffee cup, type on a keyboard, pick up a child, cook a meal, or even sleep comfortably through the night. Even a relatively minor fracture can become extremely frustrating and disruptive when every movement causes pain.
The Complexity of the Hand and Wrist
The human hand contains 27 small bones known as the phalanges, carpals, and metacarpals. The phalanges are the 14 small bones that form the fingers and thumb. The metacarpals are the 5 bones that form the structure of the hand itself. The carpals are 8 small bones that form the wrist and connect the hand to the forearm.
Because the hand and wrist contain so many small bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and moving parts packed into a relatively small area, they are especially vulnerable to fractures during an accident. As a result, broken hands, wrist fractures, and ligament injuries are common in motorcycle accidents, bicycle crashes, and other traumatic incidents.
Why Hand and Wrist Injuries Can Be So Serious
The hands and wrists are not only used to grip and hold objects, but also to feel and interact with the world around us. Much of this sensation comes from the fingertips, which contain a dense concentration of nerve endings. These nerve endings allow the hands to perform highly precise movements and give the brain detailed feedback about the objects we touch.
Because of this complexity, hand and wrist injuries often involve far more than a simple broken bone. Some people experience nerve damage, loss of grip strength, stiffness, reduced range of motion, chronic pain, tremors, or permanent loss of dexterity after a serious injury.
For many people, their hands and wrists are directly connected to their livelihood and independence. A surgeon depends on steady and precise hand movements to perform surgery. A pianist depends on hand coordination and dexterity to perform music. A mechanic, dentist, electrician, artist, and countless other professionals rely heavily on the full use of their hands every day.
When a serious hand or wrist injury affects a person’s strength, coordination, or dexterity, it can impact far more than physical comfort. It can create anxiety about work, finances, independence, and the future.
Compensation for Hand and Wrist Injuries
If your hands or wrists were injured because of someone else’s negligence or carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from the injury.
Some hand and wrist fractures require surgery, pins, screws, plates, tendon repair, or extensive physical therapy. Even after treatment, some people continue to experience stiffness, pain, weakness, arthritis, numbness, or difficulty performing fine motor tasks. In more serious cases, a person may never fully regain the strength or dexterity they had before the accident.
If your livelihood depended on the strength, coordination, dexterity, or skill of your hands and wrists and you can no longer perform the work you once did, you may also be entitled to compensation for loss of future earning capacity.
Call for Help
Contact Injury Law Group today to ensure that your legal rights are protected. We understand how physically, emotionally, and financially difficult a serious hand or wrist injury can be, and we fight hard for injured accident victims so they can focus on healing and rebuilding their lives.
