Fractures and broken bones in children come from many accidents.
Additionally, a fractured clavicle, more commonly known as a broken collarbone, is the most common pediatric fracture.
Such fractures occur in newborns due to a difficult delivery.
Nearly half of all clavicle fractures occur in children under seven.
Clavicle fractures commonly arise from a slip and fall, a car accident, or twisting motions.
For your child, this injury can cause severe and chronic pain and requires immediate medical treatment.
If your child has suffered a broken collarbone due to an accident or negligence, our attorneys can help you.
What is the clavicle?
The clavicle, or collarbone, is an oblong bone over the top of your chest, between your breastbone (sternum) and shoulder blade (scapula) that connects your shoulder to your trunk. It is easy to feel the clavicle, because unlike other bones which are covered with muscle, only skin covers a large part of the bone.
How does a fractured clavicle occur?
Clavicle fractures can occur in different ways. Some children fall on an outstretched hand, others fall and hit the outside of their shoulder and trauma from car accidents. Broken collarbones can also occur from a direct hit to the clavicle.
What is the treatment for a fractured clavicle?
Treatment of clavicle fractures most commonly involves resting the affected extremity. There are several types of slings available; one commonly used is called a “figure-of-8” splint. This is a brace that wraps around the shoulders to keep them back, just like a soldier standing at attention.
It is very unusual for a clavicle fracture to require surgery, and most often treated with a sling. Surgery is required in some situations when either the skin is broken or if the fracture is severely displaced or shortened.
How long does it take to recover from a collarbone fracture?
Clavicle fractures should heal completely within 12 weeks, but the pain usually subsides within a few weeks. Often people are back to full activities before 12 weeks has passed, especially with children.
If your child has suffered a fractured clavicle, ensure they receive appropriate medical care with an orthopedist. Additionally, maintain a record of your child’s medical treatment. Do not speak with insurance adjusters before consulting a personal injury attorney. Therefore, you may need the advice of an experienced Staten Island, New York personal injury attorney. Call Frank J. Dito, Jr., Esq., today at (718) 701-2776 for your free consultation.
If the injury came from an accident
There is one legal point worth knowing, because it works in a child’s favor. Most injuries have to clear a bar called the serious injury threshold before anyone can sue for pain and suffering, and that bar is argued over medical records and degrees of limitation. A fracture is different. It is one of the categories in its own right — a broken bone clears the threshold outright, without any argument about how limited the child is.
The other thing to know is the deadline. A child’s own time to sue is extended because of their age. If a City vehicle, a school bus or another government vehicle was involved, the ninety-day notice of claim is not extended at all. That catches families every year.
- The serious injury threshold — and why a fracture clears it automatically.
- Pedestrian accidents — if your child was struck by a vehicle.
- Car accidents — if your child was a passenger.
Talk to us
Call 718.701.2776 (toll-free: 800.310.5520) or contact us. Consultations are free. If we don’t recover money for you, we don’t get paid.