Hip Injury Compensation

What Kinds of Hip Injury Can I Claim Personal Injury Compensation For?

The hip and pelvis are subjected to constant, demanding workloads while we go about our daily lives, making injuries to these areas both very inconvenient and often extremely painful. The hip is the joint connecting the upper legs to the pelvis, so if either the hip or pelvis is damaged mobility is usually greatly restricted.

Hip and pelvis injuries include dislocations and fractures, as well as bruised and strained muscles and ligaments. Damage to the hip and pelvis is often associated with road traffic accidents, but slips, trips and falls – particularly among the elderly – are the most common causes of hip injuries. About one-third of the elderly population over the age of 65 falls each year, and the risk of falls increases proportionately with age. At 80 years, over half of seniors suffer some kind of fall each year.

Hip injuries can happen in a number of different ways, and identifying what type of injury you have sustained and how it has impacted your life and general health will be critical to the success of your hip injury compensation claim, as your financial settlement will depend largely on how much long-term pain and/or disability you suffer as a result of the damage to your hip. The severity of a hip injury can vary tremendously, but it will invariably result in loss of mobility, extreme pain and discomfort and a long period of rehabilitation.

Dislocated Hip

Dislocation of the hip is commonly caused by car accidents and industrial accidents, such as falling from a ladder. A dislocation occurs when the ball-shaped head of the femur comes out of the cup-shaped acetabulum set in the pelvis. Considerable force is needed in order for the thighbone to pop out of its socket, but when it does it generally leaves the hip in a fixed position, bent and twisted towards the middle of the body. Alternatively, if the thighbone slips out and forward, the hip will be only slightly bent and the leg will twist out and away from the middle of the body. A dislocated hip is extremely painful, and the victim is unlikely to be able to move the leg after suffering such an injury. They may also experience loss of feeling in the foot or ankle area due to nerve damage.

Fractured Pelvis

A fractured pelvis has the potential to significantly affect a person’s mobility on either a temporary or permanent basis and can lead to victims requiring significant time off work, or being forced to leave their job altogether. Such injuries may also result in a need for long-term medical care and at-home assistance. A severe pelvic or hip injury can have the same life-changing impact as the amputation of a leg. Most hip and pelvic injuries are caused by slips and falls although those injured in road traffic accidents can also face the possibility of sustaining damage to their pelvis/hip region. The reproductive systems are also located in this area of the body and injuries to this region can even lead to sterility, impotence and infertility.

Muscle / Ligament Tears

A hip sprain usually occurs due to stretching or tearing of ligaments that support the hip joint, which not only results in pain but also restricts motion. A hip sprain occurs when a sudden contraction of muscle occurs. Overstretching or a heavy impact may also result in a tearing of the tissue. This kind of tissue tear is called a hip sprain. The muscle tear/ligament strain may also result in bruising or swelling around the hip and pelvis. Movement can be heavily restricted for several weeks after the initial injury (depending on the severity of the tear/strain), and painkillers are usually required to dull the pain while the injury heals.

Hip Bursitis

A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. Bursitis – or inflammation of the bursa – is the most common cause of hip pain. Most cases of bursitis can be treated at home with self-care techniques and over-the-counter painkillers. The pain is usually gone within a few weeks, but the swelling may take longer to completely disappear. Exactly how long the hip takes to recover from bursitis may depend on where the bursitis is and whether it is caused by an infection (septic bursitis). Anyone who has sustained a hip injury that was not their fault can make a ‘no win, no fee’ personal injury compensation claim, with the amount of compensation likely to be paid out dependent on the severity and nature of the hip injury, the prognosis for recovery and your general health. If you have suffered a hip injury of any kind, contact us to find out if you could be entitled to claim personal injury compensation for your hip injury.