Broken Bone Settlement Amounts

Broken bones, or fractures, are common in personal injury cases. Our lawyers have handled hundreds of these claims.

Bone fractures in car accidents can be extremely painful and require significant treatment and even surgery to correct. For that reason alone, broken bone compensation amounts for car accident lawsuits tend to be high.

How high is high? That is why you are here.  You want a better understanding of what your expected settlement amount or jury payout might be.

This page will provide you valuable insights into the factors that can influence settlement amounts in broken bone lawsuits and why hiring the best personal injury lawyer is the best path to maximizing your settlement, and how much money you ultimately put in your pocket for what you have endured.

Our firm handles broken bone injury cases in Maryland and Washington D.C., and nationwide. When we need to, we work with attorneys in your state. We pay the fees for that lawyer.

So you are getting two law firms for the price of one.  And you only pay us if you get a settlement amount, arbitration award, or jury payout. Our focus is to maximize the settlement compensation you receive. Period.  If this is what you need, call our team today at 800-5553-8082 or get a free online case evaluation.

Bone Fractures in Car Accidents: Causes and Mechanisms

Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are a leading cause of bone fractures. Plaintiffs’ lawyers love to argue that low-impact crashes are as dangerous as high-impact collisions.  But that is mostly nonsense.

The cases we have with broken bones usually involve high-impact collisions.  The forces involved in a severe crash can cause significant damage. Bones are particularly susceptible to injury in these crashes, which is why our lawyers see a large number of broken bones from crashes in our law practice.

Types of Bone Fractures in Car Accidents

Several types of bone fractures can result from car accidents, including:

• Simple (closed) fractures: The bone breaks but does not puncture the skin.  Simple fractures and hairline fractures are typically on the low end of broken bone settlement amounts.
• Compound (open) fractures: The broken bone protrudes through the skin, increasing the risk of infection. These are serious injuries. At trial, the pictures often make the case.
• Comminuted fractures: The bone shatters into multiple pieces, often requiring surgery to repair.  These are typically high-value settlements.
• Displaced fractures: The bone fragments are misaligned and must be realigned through surgery or manipulation. Another severe injury fracture tends to fetch high settlement amounts.
• Greenstick fractures: The bone partially breaks or bends, commonly seen in children due to their more flexible bones. A greenstick fracture is generally considered less severe than other types of fractures. It occurs when a bone partially breaks or bends, usually in children whose bones are more flexible and less brittle than adults. The settlement compensation is often higher than hairline or simple fractures, less so because of the injury but the fact that the victims are often children.
• Hairline (stress) fractures: These are small cracks in the bone that may be difficult to detect but can cause significant pain. Again, in most cases, the settlement payouts for these types of breaks are less than for other injuries.

Mechanisms of Bone Fractures in Car Accidents

Several factors contribute to the occurrence of bone fractures during car accidents, including:

• Direct impact: A bone fracture can occur when a body part comes into direct contact with a hard surface or object during the collision, such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or another vehicle. This type of impact can cause various fractures, including those in the arms, legs, ribs, and skull.
• Indirect impact: Indirect forces can cause bone fractures during car accidents. For example, the sudden deceleration experienced during a collision can cause the body to jerk forward, resulting in injuries such as whiplash. This rapid movement can place immense strain on the bones, leading to fractures in the neck, spine, or other areas of the body.
• Compression: In severe car accidents, the vehicle’s structure may crumple or collapse, subjecting the occupants to tremendous compressive forces. These forces can cause crushing injuries, leading to multiple fractures or even shattered bones, particularly in the chest, pelvis, and lower extremities.
• Twisting forces: During a car accident, the body may be subjected to twisting forces, which can cause bones to fracture. This type of injury is particularly common in high-speed collisions or rollover accidents. The body’s natural alignment can be disrupted, leading to fractures in the arms, legs, or spine.

Common Bone Fractures in Car Accidents

The type of bone fracture, as we discuss below, will impact settlement compensation offers. Some of the most common bone fractures resulting from car accidents include:

• Rib fractures: The ribs are particularly susceptible to fractures during car accidents due to their location and the forceful impact of collisions. Rib fractures can be extremely painful and may cause complications such as punctured lungs or damage to internal organs.
• Skull fractures: High-impact collisions can result in skull fractures, ranging from simple hairline fractures to more severe, life-threatening injuries. Skull fractures may lead to traumatic brain injuries, which can have long-lasting consequences on cognitive function and overall quality of life.
• Spinal fractures: Car accidents can cause fractures in the vertebrae of the spine, leading to severe pain and potential neurological damage. Depending on the location and severity of the fracture, spinal injuries may result in partial or complete paralysis.
• Limb fractures: Arms and legs are also commonly injured in car accidents, with fractures in the wrists, forearms, ankles, and lower legs being particularly prevalent. These injuries can require extensive medical intervention and may have a significant impact on the victim

What our lawyers see in our law practice is that bone fractures are even more common in auto accidents involving pedestrians and motorcycle accidents. Without the protection of the car frame to help absorb the blunt impact force of a collision, pedestrians and motorcycle riders are particularly vulnerable to broken bones in an accident.

Most Common Types of Bone Fractures in Auto Accidents

Almost any bones in the human body can be broken in a severe auto accident. However, certain bones are much more likely to get broken in a typical collision between two vehicles. Broken ribs and leg bone fractures are the most common types of bone breaks our lawyers see in auto accident cases. Clavicle (collar bone) fractures and arm fractures are probably the next most common. Other bone fractures we see in auto accident cases include broken vertebrae, skull fractures, and facial bone fractures.

Let’s talk about these specific injuries.  You can click on the links in the discussion for examples of broken bone verdicts and settlements for that injury.

Broken Leg Settlement Amounts

A broken leg can significantly impact the victim’s life, from physical pain and suffering to financial burdens and emotional distress. Auto accidents are one of the more common causes of leg fractures. Part of the reason for this is that it takes a lot of force to break a leg bone. A broken leg includes any fracture of the three bones in the leg (fibula, femur, and tibia).

Leg bone fractures in car accidents are pretty severe injuries. Fractures of the femur can be severe and even potentially fatal in some cases. The potential settlement value of a broken leg depends on several factors. The location of the fracture (upper or lower) is one of the most critical factors.

So how much is a broken leg bone worth in a car accident case? The median national average verdict for a femur fracture (the worst and most valuable type of broken leg injury) is $167,000. As indicated by the chart below, the estimated settlement value of broken leg injuries ranges between $55,000 and $150,000, depending on the type of broken leg and other factors.

Estimated Average Settlement for Broken Leg

FRACTURE LOCATION	VALUE RANGE
Fiblua (calf)	$55,000 – $70,000
Tibia (shin)	$65,000 – $85,000
Femur (thigh)	$130,000 – 150,000

More Info: SETTLEMENT VALUE OF BROKEN LEGS

Broken Ribs Settlement Amounts

Broken ribs are a very common injury in car accidents. They are most often fractured by seat-belt compression during the collision’s impact. Technically, a rib bone fracture only occurs when a break or crack occurs in one or more rib bones. However, the term “fractured rib” is also sometimes used to refer to a break in the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum.

The average settlement payout range for an accident case involving fractured ribs is between $15,000 and $100,000. Although rib fractures do not involve extensive treatment, they are exceedingly painful. A rib fracture will cause an individual to experience acute pain each time they breathe.

What impacts the settlement compensation for rib fractures? The most significant factor that drives the value of fractured rib cases is the extent or severity of the injury. In the context of broken rib injuries, this primarily means how many ribs are fractured. One broken rib will have a lower settlement value than a case involving five broken ribs.

The second factor impacting case value is the level of medical treatment. Most fractured ribs do not require medical treatment, just rest. For this reason, insurance companies often undervalue rib fractures because they want to see medical treatment expenses. When rib fractures are combined with other injuries that do involve treatment, they tend to have a much higher value.

More Info: SETTLEMENT VALUE OF BROKEN RIBS

Broken Arm Settlement Amounts

Arm fractures are not a very common injury in auto accidents. Bones in the legs, feet, ankles, and hands are much more likely to be fractured in an auto collision. However, arm fractures do occur, particularly in extremely high-impact accidents. Arm fracture injuries can be broken into two types of accident valuation purposes: (a) upper arm fractures and (b) lower arm fractures.

Upper arm fractures involve the humerus bone. These are more serious but less common. Lower arm fractures can involve either the radius or ulna bones (or both). Lower arm breaks are much more common but comparatively less severe than upper arm breaks. In a personal injury case, the average settlement value range for a broken arm (upper or lower) is $45,000 to $92,000.

FRACTURE LOCATION	VALUE RANGE
Lower Arm	$35,000 – $90,000
Upper Arm	$50,000 – $150,000

The average settlement for broken arm in car accident is less than we see for a broken leg.  But some of these more serious broken arms push past well past the average broken leg settlement.  The key, as always, is permanency.  If you have that, you can have a million dollar case.

More Info: SETTLEMENT VALUE OF BROKEN ARM

Broken Hip Settlement Amounts

A broken hip (pelvis fracture) is not a common injury in a car accident.  Our attorneys see this injury more often in slip-and-fall cases. This is mainly because the pelvis is not usually in a vulnerable position during an auto accident in the same way that the legs of the back are.

Pelvic fractures occasionally result from auto accidents involving collisions between two vehicles at higher speeds. Hip fracture injuries are much more common in pedestrian accident cases where someone is walking or riding a bicycle when struck by a vehicle. In pedestrian collision cases, the hip can fracture from the impact of hitting the ground or being crushed under the vehicle’s weight.

Hip fracture injuries are usually very high-value injuries when they result from an auto accident. Fracturing a hip is very painful, and it can leave you immobile for weeks of recovery and can frequently cause permanent disability to some degree.

The median verdict in Maryland for personal injury cases involving hip fractures as the primary injury is just over $150,000. This is somewhat misleading, however, because it includes many nursing home hip fracture cases involving elderly plaintiffs, which tend to have a lower value. The median value of hip fracture verdicts in auto accident cases is probably slightly higher.

More Info: SETTLEMENT VALUE OF HIP FRACTURE 

Vertebrae Fracture Settlement Amounts

Back injuries are by far the most common type of injury caused by auto accidents. The back and spine take the brunt of the impact force in most collisions between vehicles, particularly in rear-end collisions.

As a result, back sprains and herniated disc injuries are present in over 90% of auto accident cases. The most severe type of back injury that can occur in an auto accident is a vertebrae fracture (spinal fracture). A spinal fracture is a dislocation or fracture of the vertebrae (backbone) and can occur anywhere along the spine.

Spinal fractures can be severe injuries. They can cause chronic pain, limit mobility, and, in some cases, they can even cause paralysis. Surgery is sometimes required to stabilize the spine and treat the symptoms.

So how much is a spinal fracture worth in an auto accident case? The national median verdict in personal injury cases for a vertebra fracture case involving a single fracture is $112,000.  The median award for cases involving multiple vertebrae fractures is $207,000, almost double the single vertebra amount.

Broken Bone Settlement Calculations

Each type of broken bone accident lawsuit is different, which is why our injury lawyers have dissected each type of injury above. But when it comes to settlement calculations and how we determine what we think compensation payouts should be, certain factors drive settlement amounts in broken bone cases.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are critical factors that influence the expected settlement amount, including:

1. Severity of the Injury: The severity of the break or fracture will play a significant role in determining the settlement amount. More severe injuries, such as compound or comminuted fractures, may require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, leading to higher medical expenses and a larger settlement.
2. Medical Expenses: The cost of medical treatment, including surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and ongoing care, will factor into the settlement amount.
3. Lost Wages: If the victim cannot work due to their broken leg injury, the settlement amount may include compensation for past and future lost wages.
4. Pain and Suffering: The physical pain and emotional distress experienced by the victim can also be factored into the settlement amount. This is typically calculated using a multiplier based on the severity of the injury and its impact on the victim’s life.
5. Strength of Liability Case: In most broken bone accident claims we handle, who is responsible is not in serious dispute. But if there is a genuine dispute, that chills settlement compensation.
6. Insurance Policy Limits:  This sometimes is the key to the claim. The available insurance coverage will also impact the settlement amount. The policy limits may constrain the settlement amount if the at-fault party has limited insurance coverage. Finding as much insurance coverage as possible in high-value claims is essential.
7. Quality of Legal Representation: An experienced personal injury lawyer advocating for you can significantly impact the settlement amount.  Insurance companies bake how good your lawyer is in their settlement calculus. This is why we think if you are looking for a “broken bone injury lawyer near me,” you are looking at this the wrong way.

Getting Our Lawyers to Help You

Losing the use of your hand or having chronic pain is tough on the victim. The personal injury lawyers at Miller & Zois know that well because of our years of experience handling these cases.

Our attorneys fight to get our clients who have suffered severe hand injuries the money they deserve, preferably by early settlement. However, we take these cases to trial when the insurance companies do not pay our clients what they should. Call us to discuss your auto accident, workers’ compensation, or another personal injury case at 800-553-8082 or get a free consultation online.

More Information on Settlement Value of Personal Injury Cases

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• More on the value of your case