Fractured Bones
Any of the bones in your fingers, palm, or wrist can be broken or crushed as a result of a violent impact in a truck accident. While a crooked or deformed finger is the clearest sign of a broken bone in the hand, other symptoms include pain, tenderness, bruising, swelling, and inability to close your hand or make a fist. Delicate surgical repair and a long recovery period can leave you incapacitated and unable to work or perform basic tasks for months.
Punctures
Because your hands are your first line of defense in a truck crash, they can easily be pierced by glass, sharp objects, or debris in the interior of your car. Like any open wound, a puncture of the hand should be treated promptly to prevent infection. Stitches may be required.
Amputations
In the worst cases, a catastrophic truck crash might sever a finger from your hand or your hand from your arm. The impact of the wreck can also crush a finger or hand so badly that it has to be surgically amputated. Obviously, this type of hand injury affects every aspect of your life, leaving you disabled and perhaps in need of a prosthesis, so your claim could be a very expensive one that the insurer wants to avoid paying.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Hand Injuries
Even if you don’t have any of the symptoms described above, you should seek medical attention immediately after a car crash and tell the doctor who treats you if there has been impact or trauma to your hands. Some hand injuries are not evident immediately, but an X-ray, MRI test, or CT scan might reveal hidden problems. A quick and accurate diagnosis enables you to start treatment right away and provides crucial documentation of your truck crash injuries.
As soon as you injure your hand, you should treat it with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) until you can see a doctor. Once your specific injury is diagnosed, you might continue RICE treatment if the damage to your hand is minor. It could begin to improve within ten days or so. In more serious cases, however, you might require a cast, a brace, or physical therapy to regain normal use of your hand. In severe cases, you could require surgery and need several months to recover completely. Your lawyer can handle all communication with the insurer(s) and oversee the progress of your claim while you focus on getting better.