What Are the Costs and Recovery Time for a Broken Pelvis?

A broken pelvis is a serious injury that can impact you for weeks, months, or even years, depending on the severity of your injury. It can be shocking for a victim of such a personal injury to learn that their life circumstances will forever be changed as a result of a broken pelvis. This leads many to wonder about the long-term costs associated with managing a broken pelvis. Even in some cases with prompt intervention by medical professionals in a comprehensive treatment plan, you may not be able to fully recover from the injuries that you have sustained. 

This makes it especially important to retain an experienced personal injury lawyer, who has the appropriate knowledge to move forward with a legal claim to help you recover any and all compensation you are owed. The support of a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can make a big difference in how you recover compensation and move on after this devastating injury.

Understanding Pelvis Fractures 

A broken pelvis can also refer to pelvic fractures. You’ll want to discuss your diagnosis and treatment plan with your medical professional to better understand how this might impact your life. 

A pelvic fracture is one common type of personal injury condition that may be associated with an accident caused by another person's negligence. Examples could be a slip and fall on someone else’s property or a vehicle accident caused by another driver. In either of these circumstances, a victim could be entitled to recover compensation through the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, who can hold the negligent party accountable. 

A pelvis fracture is a breaking of the ring of bones that connect your hips to your spine. High energy injuries, such as falls or car accidents, are common causes of pelvic fractures, although the elderly are also commonly exposed to these slip and fall risks.

When diagnosing a pelvic fracture, physicians describe these based on how and where the bone breaks and are classified by injury pattern. The differentiation of pelvic fractures can be complex, and these injuries often require treatment by an orthopedic trauma specialist. Pelvic fractures often experience these trauma centers because injuries have associated chest, abdominal, or head trauma.

Physical examinations by a medical professional are essential for diagnosing pelvic fractures. X-rays are often used to determine the severity and location of the broken pelvic bone, and in many cases, five or more X-rays will be taken to verify the injury pattern. CT scans can also be used by physicians to help determine treatment and surgery options for a patient who has a pelvic fracture. Surgery can be very expensive and can have long recovery times, meaning that the victim is entitled to compensation for their medical treatments — but also for any lost time at work and any major adjustments they've had to make in their life as a result of this disability or long-term impact.

Treatment for pelvic fractures can be surgical or nonsurgical, depending on the location and the severity of the injury. Nonsurgical treatment is typically recommended for non-displaced, stable pelvic fractures. Regular follow-up care through X-rays and physical exams is important when non-operative care is selected. This can mean that the expenses for an associated pelvic fracture victim are lower, but that person still may be suffering devastating impacts from their injury, which makes it more important to retain the services of a lawyer who has handled situations like this before.

One of the most problematic aspects of many pelvic fractures is that some allow for immediate weight burning, while others do not. Patients often require gate supports, such as watch walkers or crutches. This can take up to three to four months to heal without surgery. Physical therapy may also be recommended at around six weeks after the bone has healed enough to prevent displacement, and patients will also often be placed on medications, such as a blood thinner, for two to six weeks.

Unfortunately, sometimes surgical treatment is necessary. An unstable broken pelvis requires prompt surgery, and surgeons prefer to fix these as soon as possible to minimize other delays and problems. Although these are relatively rare injuries, they can be catastrophic and often require that a patient is not able to bear weight on their pelvis or walk for 6 to 10 weeks. Physical therapy is also needed to use crutches or a walker before leaving the hospital, and blood thinners may also be required.

Pelvic fracture surgery carries significant possible complications or risks, such as blood clots, injuries to the nerves or blood vessels, infections, sexual dysfunction, and more. People with a broken pelvis take anywhere from four to six months to heal. In many cases, this can be very difficult for people to work through.

Understanding Broken Pelvis Nonsurgical Treatments

When a nonsurgical treatment is recommended, the estimated national average for closed treatment of a pelvic fracture is $430. The cost of surgery can be thousands of dollars more. For example, treatment of a hip fracture typically costs between $13,000 and $40,000, depending on the severity of the injury, your health insurance, and your location.

Many hip fractures and broken pelvis injuries can be covered by health insurance, but it is also important to understand that your health insurance will want to be re-compensated in the event that you suffered an injury because of another person's negligent actions. Approximately 40% percent of hip fracture and pelvic fracture patients will require some type of post-surgical nursing home care. On average, nursing home care costs around $200 per day. This can be extended in terms of treatment, and many patients may not be able to go back to work immediately or at all.

All of these factors should be considered in preparing a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party. A pelvic fracture can have long-term complications for the patient, and this can also affect their mental health, as well. The support of an experienced personal injury lawyer is strongly recommended to help the patient not only navigate this complex process while remaining focused on their medical recovery but also to give them options when it comes to filing a personal injury lawsuit.

Understanding the Role of Negligence in a Suit 

Most states have personal injury laws on the books that allow you to file prompt personal injury claims against a responsible party when you have sustained a broken pelvis. If you sustained a broken pelvis as a result of a car accident with a drunk or distracted driver, for example, you would open an insurance claim against that person's insurance carrier to recover compensation.

This may be your only opportunity to cover some of the extensive medical costs and give you peace of mind, so that you can remain focused on your physical therapy and other treatments. It is important to discuss your case directly with a personal injury lawyer, as soon as possible after you have been hurt, since this gives you the best possible opportunity to recover all necessary compensation for your injuries.