Broken Arm Compensation, Symptoms And Treatment

There are many types of injuries that can be referred to as a broken arm. There are three bones in the arm along with an elbow, leaving plenty of area for injury if people are not careful. A broken humerus (the bone that connects the elbow to the shoulder) is extremely rare, but is simply known as a broken arm. A broken radius or ulna would be considered a forearm fracture, while an elbow fracture would be simply known as a broken elbow, rather than a broken arm. There is also a distal radius fracture, common among extreme sports injuries, but is grouped with wrist fractures since it occurs in the wrist area on the radius and not up further. Thus, the term ‘broken arm’ generally is used to refer to a break in the radius, ulna, or both.

Causes of a broken arm

Broken arms are caused by many different situations, including many common causes of other broken bones. Some causes can be:

• Falling
• Direct force to the arm that exceeds what it can handle
• Car accidents
• Sports injuries
• Twisting the arm excessively (beyond normal range of motion)

Symptoms of a broken arm

Symptoms of a broken arm are not different from other broken bones. Some things to look for include:

• Pain, whether it be mild or severe
• Continuing pain that is less severe than the immediate pain of impact
• Tenderness, swelling, bruising
• Discoloration of the skin or open fracture (where the bone penetrates the skin)
• Limited mobility in the affected arm
• Lumps or deformities around the fracture site

Treatment of a broken arm

A doctor will do a full physical exam to determine where the injury is located, how severe it is, and what the best treatment options are. This can include x-rays and even a CT scan if so needed by the doctor. Sometimes, x-rays don’t tell all, which is why the CT scan can be a better indicator of trauma or fractures that are hard to see or less severe. Treatment will consist of a process that is similar to other bone injuries:

• Put the bones back together
• Keep them together while they heal

This can be done with a wrap or a splint in less severe injuries, or with a cast in injuries that need more stability and time to heal. In addition, serious broken arm injuries can require surgery, including plates, screws, and/or pins to hold the bones together while they heal. This is usually followed by the application of a cast. Physical therapy and exercise will help to get the arm back to normal after the healing process has taken place.

Compensation for a broken arm

Many people are unaware that they can claim compensation for a broken or fractured bone but help is at hand. Whether you have been injured at work, on the road, playing sport, in hospital, in the street, in a shop, an office, commercial or public building, at home, a friend's house or any kind of slip, trip or fall.

In addition to claiming compensation for you or a loved ones suffering, you may also be able to claim for medical expenses, lost wages and any other out of pocket expenses.  For an idea of what you could get see some typical compensation amounts.

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It's that easy!