Hip Injuries From a Car Accident

Car accidents can result in numerous types of injuries. Some injuries resulting from traffic crashes can be severe and debilitating, while others can heal within a relatively short period of time. In some situations, the ability for the injury victim to fully recover depends on many factors, including how quickly that person seeks medical treatment, the person’s age, and any other concurrent health issues. One common type of car accident injury is a hip injury. While we do not always associate hip injuries with traumatic events, motor vehicle collisions can cause various types of hip injuries and can aggravate other existing hip conditions.

It is important to understand what kinds of hip injuries can result from trauma, and what sorts of hip conditions can be exacerbated by a collision. The following information comes from the Mayo Clinic, Arthritis Foundation, and Medline Plus.

A hip fracture, or a broken hip, is one of the most common forms of hip injury that can occur in a car crash. Broken hips frequently are associated with older adults, and women in particular who suffer from osteoporosis. However, any person of any age can suffer a hip fracture. Indeed, as the Mayo Clinic emphasizes, “a severe impact—in a car crash, for example—can cause hip fractures in people of all ages.” At the same time, people aged 65 and over, and particularly those who have osteoporosis, are much more likely to sustain a hip fracture. Bones get weaker as a person ages, and osteoporosis weakens bones further.

When a person does suffer a hip fracture, it is important to know that this type of injury can have serious complications. In some situations, the complications are life-threatening. Commons signs of a broken hip can include:

• Inability to move the hip area;
• Severe pain in the hip or in the groin;
• Inability to put weight on one leg where the hip was injured;
• Stiffness in the hip area;
• Bruising and/or swelling in the hip area; or
• Leg turning outward.

Bursitis is a condition in which the bursa—or the “small, jelly-like sacs that are located throughout the body,” according to the Mayo Clinic—become inflamed. Bursa are located around the hips, and they contain fluid. They help to reduce friction. In cases of hip bursitis, the primary symptom is pain right around the hip, but it can also extend to a person’s thigh. For most people who experience hip bursitis, the pain begins as “sharp and intense,” but it is usually described as achy as the condition spreads. A majority of people who suffer from hip bursitis say that the pain is worse at night, or whenever they are seated or lying down for an extended period of time. In some cases, the pain can also worsen if you walk for an extended distance or climb multiple flights of stairs.

While hip bursitis can result from many causes including repetitive stress injuries and rheumatoid arthritis, it can also result from a traumatic hip injury. Hip bursitis can occur if you bump your hip, fall on your hip, or if an object strikes your hip.

If you sustained a hip injury after a motor vehicle crash, a car accident attorney can discuss your options for filing a claim. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you. All consultations are absolutely free.