Broken Bones and Fractures in Santa Monica, CA

If you broke a bone in a Santa Monica crash or fall, the injury may involve surgery, weeks in a cast or brace, and months of physical therapy before you can work or move normally again. Some fractures heal cleanly, while others leave lasting stiffness, arthritis, or hardware that needs a second operation. Our Santa Monica, CA personal injury lawyer can document the full course of your recovery and pursue compensation that reflects both the break and its long-term effects. Cohen Injury Law Group handles fracture claims for pedestrians, riders, drivers, and fall victims across the city.

How Fractures Happen on Santa Monica Streets

The type of fracture often follows the type of crash. People struck in a pedestrian accident frequently suffer leg fractures, because a bumper meets the body at about knee height. Cyclists thrown forward tend to land on an outstretched hand or shoulder, which can break a wrist or collarbone. Riders in motorcycle crashes on Pacific Coast Highway and the Santa Monica Freeway face high-energy impacts that can fracture the femur or pelvis.

E-scooters add their own pattern. A UCLA study of 249 people treated for e-scooter injuries at UCLA Health’s Santa Monica and Westwood emergency departments found that 32 percent had fractures. Many riders in scooter accidents also suffer road rash and head injuries in the same fall.

Falls and Hip Fractures in Older Adults

Uneven sidewalks, poorly lit stairways, and wet floors in stores and hotels can turn a simple fall into a serious fracture, especially for older adults. According to the CDC, about 319,000 older adults are hospitalized for hip fractures each year, and falls cause 88 percent of hip fracture emergency visits and hospitalizations. A hip fracture often means surgery, a stay in a rehabilitation facility, and a long period of reduced independence. When a hazard on someone else’s property caused the fall, our slip and fall lawyer in Santa Monica, CA can pursue the owner or manager responsible.

Many older fall victims rely on Medicare, which matters at settlement. Medicare pays conditionally for injury-related care when another party may be responsible, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires those payments to be repaid from a settlement or judgment. Resolving that repayment is part of closing the case.

When a Fracture Needs Surgery

Many fractures require internal fixation, a surgery in which the bone is realigned and held in place with plates, screws, or rods. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons explains on OrthoInfo that some plates and screws are removed after the bone heals, while rods are often left in place. The same source lists possible complications, including infection, nonunion (poor healing), malunion (healing out of alignment), and hardware failure.

Open fractures, where bone breaks through the skin, carry a higher risk of infection and often need more than one operation. Each of these possibilities affects the value of a claim, because a future surgery to remove hardware or correct a malunion is a real cost.

Why Fracture Claims Are Often Undervalued

Insurers sometimes treat a fracture as an injury that heals in six weeks. That view ignores what happens when a broken wrist limits typing, a fractured ankle prevents standing through a restaurant shift, or a joint fracture leads to post-traumatic arthritis years later.

A fair valuation usually waits until your orthopedic surgeon can describe your long-term prognosis, often after you reach maximum medical improvement. Settling earlier risks leaving out future treatment, and that timing affects how long your case takes. The claim should include future medical care, lost income, and reduced earning capacity as economic damages, along with the pain and lost activities that make up pain and suffering.

Records That Prove a Fracture Claim

X-rays, CT scans, and operative reports confirm the break and the treatment it required. Physical therapy notes track your range of motion and strength over time, and work restrictions from your doctor show how the injury affected your job. Photos of casts, braces, and surgical scars help a jury understand the recovery. Our car accident lawyer in Santa Monica, CA gathers these records along with the crash report and witness statements described in our guide to evidence for a personal injury claim.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in Santa Monica, CA About Your Fracture

Attorney Wayne R. Cohen has practiced law since 1991, has been featured in the LA Times, and serves as an Associate Professorial Lecturer at The George Washington University Law School. Attorney Nicholas E. Cohen works with him to track each client’s medical recovery from the first visit to final release. Cohen Injury Law Group also represents scooter riders injured in Venice.

Consultations are free, and you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Contact our team to discuss your case.

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