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A motor vehicle accident can cause numerous injuries to drivers and passengers. The way the crash occurred, your position in the car, and other unique factors shape the outcome for your health. Among the most common injuries in car accidents are injuries to the hands and wrists. The delicate bones that make up the hand and wrist protect vital tendons and nerves that allow us to perform everyday tasks. If a negligent driver is responsible for your wrist injury, you should know your rights and legal options.
EXAMPLE
The impact on your body, known as crash force, is calculated by multiplying your weight by your speed. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds and were traveling at 50 mph, it becomes 7,000 pounds of force.
Both drivers and passengers are at risk of wrist injury in a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, there are many ways injuries occur, including:
A motor vehicle collision causes the energy that was moving the vehicle to be absorbed into your body. Even at low speeds, this can amount to an incredible force. Impact on the small wrist bones can easily leave you with a fracture or sprain.
Airbags rapidly inflate to protect vehicle occupants from severe injury. However, they are also known to cause facial fractures, concussions, and wrist damage if the hands are positioned in front of the steering wheel.
It is instinctive to brace for impact when you realize a collision is coming. While this may help prevent catastrophic injuries, gripping a steering wheel or putting your arms in front of you can leave the wrists, hands, and arms vulnerable.
These are just a few examples of car accident wrist injuries. Factors such as your position in the car and the location of the crash can also drastically affect occupants.
Pedestrians, cyclists, and bikers are undoubtedly at higher risk of all injuries, including wrist injuries, when struck by a vehicle. Without a protective metal cage, the consequences of a collision are amplified. Unfortunately, insurers often try to place blame on pedestrians, cyclists, and bikers for their own (sometimes catastrophic) injuries. Motorcyclists also face biases for their choice to ride, which can be another major hurdle in recovering fair compensation. Our attorneys are skilled at handling these cases and fighting the insurance companies on our clients’ behalf. If you are hit by a car while not in a vehicle, you deserve the same justice and compensation for your injuries.
It’s important to be vigilant about symptoms you experience after a car accident. Some injuries are readily apparent, like an obvious open fracture. But there are many types of hand and wrist injuries, and they do not appear in the same way or even at the same time. Accident victims with wrist injuries may notice the following:
These symptoms may not appear right away. Continue to monitor your health in the days and weeks after an accident.
CASE RESULT
Attorney Shawn Howard recovered $205,000 from liability and Underinsured Motorist coverage for Fayetteville client who suffered a wrist and toe fracture after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle.
Eight small bones, the carpal bones, connect the hand and forearm. They form the carpal tunnel that allows tendons and nerves to reach your hands and fingers. Any injury to these bones can result in pain, swelling, reduced flexibility, and other disruptive symptoms. The most common causes of wrist pain after a car accident include:
A broken wrist refers to any fracture in the eight carpal bones or forearm bones that connect to the wrist. Distal radius fractures are among the most common fractures, accounting for roughly 1 in 6 fractures each year. This fracture occurs when one of the two long bones of the forearm (the radius) breaks close to the wrist. The radius is the most commonly broken bone in the arm. Severe force from a car, motorcycle, truck, or other crash has the potential to fracture the bones of anyone, regardless of age or health status.
Like sprains, fractures range in severity. Stable fractures can be managed with a cast or sling. If the bone breaks through the skin, it is considered a compound (open) fracture and typically needs surgery. A fracture is also called comminuted if the bone breaks in at least two places, which also often requires surgical treatment.
A sprain occurs when muscles and ligaments that connect the wrist and hand are stretched or possibly torn. This is a painful condition classified by the severity of the damage. Grade one means the ligaments are stretched but not torn; grade two, partial tearing; and grade three, the ligaments are completely torn.
Tendons run through your forearm, connecting muscle to bone. They facilitate movements such as bending, straightening, and gripping. The sudden impact of a motor vehicle accident can cause inflammation and swelling of the tendons, known as tendonitis.
The carpal tunnel is a passageway through the wrist bones that allows tendons, ligaments, and nerves to reach the hand. CTS occurs when there is irritation or pressure on the median nerve, which helps you move your forearms, wrists, and hands.
The treatment for wrist injuries in the wake of a motor vehicle accident varies greatly depending on your diagnosis. For example, a doctor will likely prescribe rest and heat therapy for a grade one wrist sprain. More life-threatening injuries, like an open wrist fracture, can require surgery, physical therapy, and other intensive treatments. It is imperative that you seek immediate medical attention after a crash. Even if the pain is minor, symptoms may worsen over time. Only medical professionals can safely assess and treat your injuries. It’s important to follow their instructions, including follow-up visits after your initial treatment.
After addressing immediate medical needs, a victim of a negligent driver can pursue legal action to get full compensation for their injuries. Hiring an experienced car accident attorney to litigate the case on your behalf allows you to focus on recovery instead of dealing with insurance companies. Your attorney will collect evidence such as witness testimony, video, and crash reports to prove that the at-fault driver acted negligently to cause the wreck. Some cases are more complicated than others and may have more than one liable party. Our personal injury lawyers have proven experience handling complex cases, tracking down evidence, and ensuring that all parties who contributed to the crash are held responsible.
A car accident has numerous consequences for crash victims. The law provides victims with the opportunity to recover monetary damages from the at-fault driver/their insurer to cover costs incurred. An experienced motor vehicle accident attorney can help you pursue the following types of compensation:
Medical Expenses: Hospital bills, follow-up visits, physical therapy, and ongoing care create a heavy financial burden. Medical expenses are a standard type of compensation you can recover after a wreck.
Lost Wages: A wrist injury and ensuing recovery often involve periods of rest and an inability to work. An attorney can ask insurers to compensate you for wages you would have earned had you not been injured.
Pain and Suffering: Some consequences of a car accident are difficult to put a number on. Pain and suffering damages are a non-economic category that compensates a victim for such side effects as loss of quality of life, physical pain, and emotional distress.
In North Carolina, recovering adequate compensation after an accident can be tricky. First, you will have to contend with the state’s “contributory negligence” rule that bars financial recovery if you are even 1% at fault for your injuries. This law creates hurdles to obtaining full compensation for victims and favors the insurers. Additionally, you may find that the at-fault driver has insufficient or even no insurance coverage to pay your expenses. North Carolina’s minimum required coverage increased in July 2025, but if your costs exceed the driver’s policy or the driver was uninsured, your attorney will investigate alternative sources of compensation.
Choosing the right attorney for your injury case can significantly impact your experience. Maginnis Howard’s personal injury lawyers are dedicated to serving the community and offer personalized representation to every client. Unlike some large national firms that treat cases as mere numbers, our team focuses on your individual needs. You can trust that we prioritize your best interests.
If another person’s negligence has injured you or a loved one, contact us today for a free consultation. Our experienced legal team will review your case, and if we take it, we operate on a contingency basis—meaning you owe nothing until we secure compensation for you. Visit our contact page to learn more about our offices in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Fayetteville. Maginnis Howard serves clients across the Carolinas in cases of all sizes.
Our personal injury attorneys accept cases on a contingency basis. That means, you don’t pay anything unless we recover a settlement or verdict on your behalf. In addition, all consultations are free.
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