Our law firm often represents clients who have sustained a fracture (broken bone) in an accident.  A fracture can occur when force is applied to a bone that is stronger than the bone itself.  Your risk of a fracture can depend in part on your age.  Children are likely to sustain a fracture, however they tend to be less complicated than a fracture to an adult.  When you are older, your bones can become more brittle and a fall that might not hurt a child could seriously injure an adult.

There are many types of broken bones, but the most common categories are complete fracture (bone snaps in two), incomplete fracture (the bone breaks, but not into pieces), compound fracture or open fracture (the bone breaks the skin), and a simple fracture (transverse, oblique, comminuted, impacted, stress and hairline). 

Some fractures are more serious than others.  We have represented many clients who have had to undergo open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) surgery to repair fractures.  This is a procedure where surgeons repair a fracture site by securing it with screws and plates or an intramedullary rod.  Sometimes the hardware remains in the fracture site temporarily, and sometimes it is permanent.