Paceline Law Bicycle Injury Lawyer helps those injured in California bicycle accidents. There’s a number of different injuries that can happen to you in these accidents, but one of the most common happens to your wrists and hands. A broken wrist can really impact your life, but you do have options. Contact us today for a free consultation to talk about your case.
When Should You Hire a Lawyer?
A wrist fracture is one of the most common injuries across California bicycle accidents, and it’s not difficult to see why. Most bicycle accidents involve you being thrown from the bike and down onto the ground, and your first instinct in this situation is to break your fall. This, obviously, puts a lot of pressure on your wrists.
But because every accident is different, you might or might not need to hire a lawyer. It just depends on your situation. Hopefully, your wrist injury is only minor, but if it’s a serious break, you should definitely look into working with my firm.
With our experience and resources, we can make the legal process easier. We’ll help you gather evidence, look into what happened, figure out who was at-fault, then help you file a claim. More than anything, we want to make the process easier for you as you heal.
What is the Legal Process After a Bicycle Accident?
Even though every accident is different, the actual legal process plays out very similarly. Generally, the first step is figuring out liability. Liability is what sets the course of the process, showing you who pays for your damages. In real terms, this isn’t always straightforward, but is determined by “negligence.”
This can refer to a number of different actions taken by others, like:
- Speeding
- Driving distracted
- Not fixing potholes
- Selling faulty bikes with defective parts
This places liability on drivers, local government agencies, other bicyclists, pedestrians, or bike sellers. With that established, you can move forward with actually filing your claim.
Filing your claim for damages
The main legal protection you have after being hurt in a bicycle accidnet caused by someone else’s negligence is being able to file an injury claim to recover “damages.” This is going to be closely related to your injuries and other losses, which can be extensive when you have a broken wrist.
Whether you decide to file an insurance claim outside of court or go straight to a personal injury lawsuit, you can potentially recover things like:
- Medical treatment expenses and surgery costs
- Costs associated with physical therapy
- Lost wages due to missed work
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life or loss of companionship
Getting financial support takes time, and that’s where my firm steps in. We’re here to help you through this tough time and make sure you get the assistance you need. But this can be tough when you’re dealing with a broken wrist and its associated trouble.
Types of Wrist Fractures in California Bicycle Accidents
Because the wrist is prone to fractures in bicycle accidents, it’s useful to understand the various types of fractures that can happen. The wrist joint consists of multiple bones, each susceptible to breaking in these accidents. Some of the most common wrist fractures–according to the Mayo Clinic–include:
- Triquetral fracture – This involves a break in the small bone on the outside of the wrist, which can happen due to forceful twisting or direct impact.
- Ulnar styloid fracture – This fracture happens at the end of the ulna bone near the wrist, causing pain and swelling.
- Scaphoid fracture – This is a break in the small bone near the base of the thumb, which might not show up on X-rays right away and can lead to complications if not treated quickly.
- Distal radius fracture – This is when the bone near the wrist breaks, causing severe pain, swelling, and bruising.
- Hamate fracture – A less common fracture in bicycle accidents, affecting the small bone near the base of the hand, typically caused by a forceful impact on the ground or compression between handlebars and ground.
What You Should Do After the Accident
Recovering from a wrist fracture after a Kentucky motorcycle accident can be tough. Besides physical healing, you’ll also need to navigate emotional and legal challenges. Despite these hurdles, there are steps you can take to recover:
- Get the right medical care – Even if you can’t immediately gauge the severity of your wrist fracture, getting medical help is crucial for pain relief and stabilizing the injury. A specialist can assess the fracture and create a treatment plan, often involving surgery and physical therapy.
- Follow your treatment plan – It’s essential to adhere to your treatment plan, which may involve wearing a cast or splint, taking pain relievers, and attending physical therapy sessions.
- Don’t get discouraged – Recovery takes time, sometimes weeks or months, so it’s important to give your body the time it needs to heal.
There’s no denying that a wrist fracture is a challenging injury, whether it happens in a bike accident or some other way. Still, you have to deal with it in the right way. This will help the healing process, and is important to the health of your claim.
Can You Prevent a Wrist Fracture in a Bicycle Accident?
Another unfortunate thing about bicycle accidents is that they can happen regardless of how careful you are. That said, the best way to prevent a wrist fracture is to not be in an accident in the first place–which is sometimes not possible. So, you can take a few steps to at least protect your wrists:
- Wearing the right safety gear, including wrist guards.
- Keeping good posture
- Following road rules
Remember, even with these precautions, wrist fractures can still happen if you’re in a bicycle accident. Plus, there are various types of injuries, each with its own set of challenges. However, you don’t have to face these challenges alone. My firm will be there to support your recovery.
Help From an Experienced California Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Facing a wrist fracture after a bicycle accident in California means changes in the way you have to live your life, both in the short and long term. Whether it’s surgery, missing work, or simply not being able to enjoy things the way you once did, these injuries can be difficult.
At Paceline Law Bicycle Injury Lawyer, my experienced team will be there to help you through the legal process. We can take care of the legal side of things while you focus on healing. To get the recovery process started, contact us today for a free consultation.
