A tumble down the crumbling stairs at your apartment building or a car crash on a crowded California freeway might see you avoid a serious leg or knee injury. But if your foot suffers a fracture, your legs can be just as incapacitated. Your legs and hips need strong footing to enable you to walk normally and without pain.
A personal injury affecting your feet can leave you unable to participate in a surprising amount of activities, including taking a stroll and driving to the store.
When someone’s carelessness is responsible for your broken or sprained foot, the at-fault party should be financially responsible for your complete recovery. That can mean the bills for a few weeks of physical therapy or many years of support for a permanent disability.
Foot Fracture Injury Dangers in California Accidents
A broken foot can take the form of a jagged bone protruding through the skin. But it can also result in small hidden cracks in the bones of the foot. These small fractures can be hard to spot, even with an X-ray. However, the pain they cause and the effects they have on your ability to walk can be enormous.
The blunt force trauma of a car accident will easily cause a break in the larger and smaller bones in the foot. A crack may form in the metatarsal bones (the bigger bones on top of the foot) when the foot is jammed into a floorboard. A trip-and-fall in a pothole in a grocery store parking lot might also cause damage. Anytime the foot is stuck in place, but the body keeps moving, your foot bones are in jeopardy.
It’s vital that you don’t underestimate the damage done. Any injury not submitted to an insurance company for a negligent party will not earn you support. Schedule a free consultation with a California Foot Fracture Lawyer to stay informed of every factor that might earn you substantial compensation.
Treatment and Costs for a Broken Foot in a California Accident
Healing for a foot fracture can take anywhere from a month and a half to three months. However, recovery time is affected by your age and how much you stay off your injury.
With X-rays and casts, emergency room treatment can run you $2,000 or more. Foot injuries requiring surgery could cost a patient anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. Physical therapy is another cost that must be considered when you determine how much you’ll seek in an injury settlement with an insurance company.
Do’s and Don’ts of Maximizing Your Broken Foot Personal Injury Claim
Foot injuries make it dangerous for you to move or even attempt to hop around after a fall or a car accident. However, if you are able, you’ll want to retrieve as much evidence as possible from the scene. If you can’t move, ask someone with you, or a helpful witness to assist you by taking some photos.
This physical proof will help you hold an insurance company liable for your hospital bills, your lost time at work, and your pain and suffering.
Here’s a look at some of the things to do and not to do on the scene to get the most out of your injury claim:
DO’S
- Call 911: Even if you don’t feel a lot of foot pain, call for help. Paramedics will check out and confirm your foot injury. Go to the hospital if you are advised to. Make sure police officers or CHP officers respond to any car accident. Make sure they get a full description from you of what happened. This account will go into their collision report.
- Snap photos: Get pictures of the scene of your accident. In a place of business, show the obstacle that hurt your foot. This hazard will likely be removed or cleaned up once you leave. After a traffic accident on a California boulevard, get photos of vehicle damage and lane markings that pertain to what happened. Get photos or video of any visible foot injuries and swelling.
- Alert a manager: At a place of business or on a residential property, let someone in charge know what happened. They’ll be required to fill out an incident report.
- Talk to witnesses: Get contact information and ask them what they saw.
- Talk to a California personal injury lawyer: Even if you don’t think you’ll need legal assistance with your case, take advantage of a free consultation session. Don’t give up your right to compensation until you find out what your broken foot should earn in an insurance claim. Your attorney will investigate your case for you so that there’s solid proof that an insurance company should cut you a settlement check. A legal expert will also inform you of important deadlines you’ll need to meet to hold an insurance company responsible.
DON’TS
- Don’t make statements: On the scene, avoid talking about who was at fault or how badly you are hurt, you may not have enough information on either topic to speak accurately. You should also avoid giving recorded statements over the phone. When an insurance representative calls you, decline to give a statement. Only provide basic information. Any recorded statement you make can be used as an excuse to reject your claim later. Let your broken foot injury lawyer handle all communications with insurance agents.
- Don’t let an insurance company determine the value of your case: Insurance adjusters aren’t required to tell you about every benefit available to you. Once they know you have a solid case, they’ll begin trying to question your innocence in the accident that hurt your foot. They’ll also raise questions about how badly your foot is hurt. These are tactics to get you to accept far less than you deserve for your foot fracture.
- Don’t accept “lowball” offers: Don’t sign off on any quickly offered settlement proposals. Your California Traumatic Injury Lawyer will know when an insurance company is trying to get you to accept a lowball offer. That settlement check may be tempting, but it could come up far short of what you’ll need to recover and rebuild your life. Allow a skilled California attorney to fight for the maximum compensation for your broken foot accident claim.
Contact a California Foot Fracture Injury Lawyer
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, offers a free case evaluation for all foot injury victims. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury is worth and how to make sure you get the most out of your foot injury insurance claim. Contact Mr. Gasparian to schedule a no-obligation consultation and talk to a real California Traumatic Injury Lawyer today.
