Hip injuries are more common than you might think and can have an enormous impact on your quality of life. You could slip on a puddle on the floor at a store and fracture a hip. And if a careless employee left the floor wet, the owner or operator could be fully liable for your recovery no matter how long it takes.
If you are in a powerful collision caused by a reckless California driver and hurt your hip, you should expect support from that driver’s car insurance policy.
You are free to file an insurance claim against these negligent parties, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll have a settlement check in hand within the week. Insurance companies use several tactics to get you to accept less after a hip fracture.
It’s important that all victims know how to maximize the compensation they receive for a hip injury so they don’t end up paying out-of-pocket for their own care.
A Free Consultation With a Real California Lawyer For Hip Injury Victims
After you or a loved one have suffered a hip injury caused by someone’s negligence, you may have been told you are on your own when the medical bills arrive. That’s simply not true.
A free consultation with a California Hip Injury Lawyer is your best resource when you have questions about why an at-fault party appears to be escaping blame for your accident. You’ll talk to a real lawyer at Maison Law and you’ll get an honest assessment of your case.
When you are through, you’ll know about every benefit available to you and your family. You’ll also have a clear understanding of your best path to holding a responsible party accountable for your injury.
What Causes Hip Injuries in California
The hip is where your thigh bone meets your pelvis in a ball-and-socket joint. The hip is one of the joints that bears the most weight in the body and its versatility allows for many of the motions you perform in everyday life.
That’s why an injury to the hip can be so devastating. Hip damage can affect and restrict so many other bodily functions. One of the biggest risks of a hip injury is that patients are kept immobile for so long that other health issues can arise.
The CDC found that over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture. These falls often occur in the home, but they can also occur in an unsafe work environment.
A slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury on a slippery floor at a grocery store or an unmaintained stairwell at an apartment complex might also put the hip joint at risk.
Hip fracture injuries also occur in the force of traffic collisions. People’s legs can be jammed into the floorboard and surrounding bones can be forced into the hip socket to cause serious damage.
Hip Injury Accident Dangers In California
In falls or impacts suffered by victims, there are a few common consequences involving the hip:
- Broken Hip – A hip fracture happens when the upper part of the thighbone (femur) breaks. Surgery is often needed and metal screws or plates are used to secure the bones and keep them in place. A partial or full hip replacement could be necessary.
- Hip Bursitis — Inflammation of the fluid-filled pads (bursae) that act as cushions for the hip joints. Pain, swelling, and stiffness are common, but patients can usually heal with rest and medication.
- Hip Labral Tears and Abductor Tears – A labral tear is damage to the tough ring of cartilage that encircles the hip joint. The labral keeps the hip joint in place and when it’s damaged you may feel a clicking or grinding sensation. The abductor muscle helps the hip move laterally and rotate.
- Dislocated Hip – The ball joint of the hip comes out of its socket. A dislocation does damage to surrounding blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, and tissues. When dislocations aren’t treated right away, long-term damage could occur.
The average cost of a hip replacement is around $40,000, but that can’t factor in the physical and emotional toll rehabilitation can take on one’s life. Patients usually have to wait around three months to resume their normal activities. A full recovery can take a year or more.
Getting The Most Out of Your Personal Injury Case
With these worrisome consequences and the incredible costs of hip treatment, it’s understandable that patients would stress over their futures after a personal injury accident. The physical challenges in recovery will be hard enough. However, victims focused on healing shouldn’t return home to find a stack of unpaid medical bills, late car payments notices, and rent-due notices.
When a careless driver on a California boulevard or a negligent property owner causes your hip injury, you are encouraged to seek compensation from their insurance providers. You should expect the maximum support available from an at-fault party.
There are ways to ensure your case is as strong as possible so that you get the most out of your hip injury claim. These are a few actions you can take to secure full support from an insurance company:
- Collect and Save Evidence – On the scene, takes photos, get witness contact information, and note any surveillance cameras around. If you’ve suffered a hip injury in a car accident, tell police officers everything you can remember so they can write up an accurate collision report. If you take a fall on someone’s property, allow a store or property manager to write up an incident report. Once your California personal injury lawyer is on your case, your lawyer will also be gathering evidence.
- Save Documents – Retain every medical bill you get. Keep your pay stubs to show how many paychecks you’ve lost while you’ve been down with your hip injury. Your personal injury lawyer will work to get police accident reports and store incident reports.
- Avoid Making Statements – Don’t make statements on the scene saying you’re “okay.” Don’t admit fault in your accident. You could be wrong on both counts, but these comments could be used against you later. Also, don’t give recorded statements to insurance representatives who call you after a hip injury accident. They are hoping you’ll say something they can twist to hurt your claim.
- Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions – You’ll want to show insurance adjusters that you are making every effort to recover from your injury. Follow your doctor’s orders. Take medication, go to physical therapy and see any recommended specialists. Just save your invoices.
- Talk to a Skilled California Hip Injury Lawyer – Discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you turn over your claim, the easier it will be for your lawyer to build your case. Waiting months or years can make it more difficult for your attorney to find evidence, request documents, and track down witnesses. Your lawyer also works to maximize your hip injury claim to ensure you have all the support you need for your physical and financial burdens.
Compensation for California Hip Injury Victims
California’s statute of limitations on hip injury claims is two years from the date of the accident. If you wait longer than 24 months to file your claim, it will likely be thrown out.
When you file your claim with the help of a California Hip Injury Lawyer, you’ll be seeking full compensation for every hardship you’ve endured and those hardships you’ll have to manage in the future.
These are just a few of the damages that can factor into your hip injury settlement check:
- Hospital and medical expenses.
- Future medical costs associated with a permanent physical disability or long-term injury.
- Compensation for the physical pain you’ve endured.
- Compensation for the emotional anguish you’ve suffered. This can include the anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms experienced in recovery.
- Earnings you’ve lost from missing work. The loss of the ability to support your family if you are out of work for months or years.
- Damage or destruction of property.
Consult with a California Hip Injury Lawyer
Trusting your case to a skilled California Hip Injury Lawyer may be the most important factor in determining the amount you’ll see on a settlement check. Your attorney makes sure you don’t accept a “lowball settlement offer.” These unfair offers are quickly identified and rejected. Your attorney then fights for more for you and your family.
There’s an easy, no-risk way to determine just what your case is worth. Contact Martin Gasparian to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
Mr. Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, offers a free case evaluation for all victims suffering from hip injuries. If you feel Maison Law can help you earn the maximum compensation available for your injury, you won’t need any money upfront. Mr. Gasparian doesn’t get paid unless he wins your case.
