Hand and Wrist Injuries that Can Be Suffered in a Car Accident

Usually, car accidents can cause injuries to a victim’s hands and wrists. Such injuries often occur when the hands or wrists hit objects in the car’s interior such as the steering wheel, airbags, windshield, or window. If you sustained hand and wrist injuries in a car accident, you need a houston car accident attorney to help you seek monetary compensation for them. Your attorney will tell you what your legal options and rights are. Injuries to the hand or wrist can lead to different serious side effects and an attorney can help you get the compensation you need to fund your medical treatment and recovery.

Types of Hand and Wrist Injuries

The following are common hand and wrist injuries car accident victims may sustain:

  • Fractures. Your wrist is composed of different bones that extend into your hand and connect to your fingers’ bones. Such delicate bones can be fractured when blunt force trauma happens in a vehicle crash. Examples of fracture-related wrist injuries include fractured fingers, scaphoid fracture, fractured knuckles, and broken wrists. 
  • Sprains. Your wrist’s bones are connected by ligaments, which can be damaged if your wrist strikes a hard object when an accident happens, causing a sprain. Sprains in the wrist are painful and can result in chronic arthritis, as well as wrist and hand instability.
  • Dislocations. The joints in your wrist can be dislocated because of a crash impact. When this occurs, your hands and wrists won’t be able to move properly. 
  • Tendon damage. Your wrist’s tendons connect its muscles to its bones. The tendons can be inflamed if impacted by blunt trauma. The affected area can develop tendonitis, causing mild to serious pain. 

Common Symptoms of Hand and Wrist Injuries

Although wrist injuries may not show symptoms immediately, the most common symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, discoloration, numbness, and inability to hold objects. It is imperative to seek medical attention immediately after an accident. When left untreated, injuries to the hand and wrist can become worse and lead to chronic issues. 

Your doctor will carry out imaging tests to assess the extent of your injury and plan the best course of treatment for your injury. Make sure you follow the orders of your doctor to speed up your recovery and make sure you heal properly. 

Although you cannot change what took place in your accident, you can recover compensation when your injuries resulted from another person’s negligence. Your compensation will help you return to your life state before the accident by covering your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. To increase your chances of recovering compensation, work with an experienced attorney.