Pain in your hip could be a sign of a broken bone, dislocation or another severe hip injury. The pain and other symptoms can be debilitating, limiting your mobility and making it much harder to perform everyday tasks, including tasks at your job.
Our Savannah car accident lawyers help crash victims with hip injuries and other serious injuries seek compensation from at-fault drivers. In the blog below, we discuss the causes of hip pain after a car accident, symptoms of these injuries, potential long-term effects and treatments.
If you or a loved one are suffering from hip pain after a car accident, contact our experienced attorneys to discuss legal options. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience and have recovered millions on behalf of our clients.
Contact us at 1-844-RESULTS for a free consultation.
What Are the Common Causes of Hip Pain After a Car Accident?
The hip is a complex, weight-bearing joint that can sustain significant damage during a collision. These are some of the most common hip injuries that are caused by car crashes:
- Fractures: The force from an accident can break one or more of the three sections of your hip bone: the ilium, pubis and ischium. A break in the hip can cause severe instability, as a fully intact hip bone helps you maintain balance and strength while running or walking. If you suspect a hip fracture you need immediate medical attention. Car accidents can also cause acetabular fractures, which refer to a break on the outer rim of the hip socket.
- Hip Dislocation: This occurs when the ball of your femur pops out of the socket, causing severe pain and immobility. One of the most dangerous side effects of hip dislocation is avascular necrosis, otherwise known as dead bone tissue. This occurs when blood flow to the bone tissue gets cut off.
- Hip Labral Tear: The labrum is a type of soft tissue on the socket of the hip. Some Savannah car crashes tear the labrum in the hip. Labral tears can severely limit mobility, as an intact labrum helps ensure smooth movement of your thigh bone in the hip joint.
- Bursitis: This refers to an inflamed bursa, a fluid-filled sac that cushions your hip joint. Many crash victims who feel hip pain have bursitis, and they may have other hip injuries as well.
- Tendonitis: This is damage to tendons and ligaments supporting the muscles and bones in the hip. Crash victims should seek treatment for this inflammation as soon as possible, as it can get worse the longer it goes untreated.
- Hip Ligament Sprains or Strains: This happens when the ligaments are overstretched or torn, resulting in pain and instability. Soft tissues are vital for stability in the joints.
What Are the Symptoms of Hip Injuries?
There are several symptoms that may indicate a hip injury from a car crash. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately and contact a lawyer to review your legal options:
- Loss of movement: You may have trouble moving your leg or hip due to fractures or nerve damage.
- Loss of muscle strength: Hip injuries from car accidents can weaken muscles, reducing strength and functionality.
- Intense pain when walking: You may feel pain from fractures, soft-tissue injuries or nerve compression.
- Difficulty moving your hip joint: Dislocations or fractures can cause pain and restrict movement.
- Limping: You may limp to reduce pressure on injured legs, hips or feet.
- Swelling: Trauma often causes swelling, which results from inflammation and fluid accumulation, leading to discomfort and restricted movement.
- Bruising: Bruising occurs when blood vessels rupture, causing visible marks that can be painful and may indicate deeper tissue damage.
- Knee pain: Torn ligaments or fractures can cause knee pain, limiting mobility and causing significant discomfort.
- Groin pain: Sharp or dull groin pain can spread to the abdomen, inner thigh, glutes, or testicles, making it harder to engage in activities like walking, sitting or lifting.
- Abdominal pain: Impact from the seatbelt or steering wheel can cause abdominal pain.
- Soreness or tenderness at the injury site: You may experience soreness and tenderness around the hips, which can cause discomfort for days or weeks.
What Are the Potential Long-Term Effects From Hip Injuries?
Individuals who do not receive the treatment or attention they need after a hip injury could have long-term complications. Some potential long-term effects could include:
Chronic Pain
This can be defined as persistent pain that affects your mobility, such as running or walking, and quality of life.
Osteoarthritis
This is a degenerative joint disease that can develop from hip injuries. It can make everyday tasks, such as walking, climbing stairs or even gripping objects difficult.
Avascular Necrosis
This occurs when blood flow to a bone is interrupted or reduced. Treatment options are available depending on the stage of the disease, your overall health and other circumstances.
Reduced Mobility
Mobility impairment can make it harder to perform everyday activities. You may need assistive devices, such as a walker or cane to continue walking and to avoid falling.
Psychological Impact
Your chronic pain and reduced mobility can cause depression and anxiety, affecting your mood or desire to do the activities you once enjoyed.
What Are Signs of Delayed Hip Injuries After a Car Accident?
Sometimes, hip injuries and their symptoms do not show up right away. Delayed symptoms may include:
- Stiffness in the hip or difficulty moving it: Stiffness or limited mobility in your hip joint could indicate an underlying injury.
- Referred Pain: Some hip pain may expand to your back, leg or buttocks due to shared nerve pathways.
You may be more prone to hip injuries if you do a lot of repetitive motions at your job. Lifting heavy objects can also put a strain on your lower back and hips. These areas handle lifting, twisting and leg movement, making them prone to minor injuries and pain.
Some crash victims may have preexisting conditions that can make hip injuries from a car accident much worse, including bulging discs, arthritis or sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
How Are Hip Injuries Treated?
There are several treatment options available for hip injuries. Your doctors will decide your treatment plan based on the severity of your injury, medical history, age, and effectiveness of treatment.
Some common treatment options for hip injuries include:
Pain and Anti-inflammatory Medication
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, may provide the relief you need. They can reduce swelling and alleviate discomfort when hip pain becomes unbearable.
Physical Therapy
Ongoing physical therapy can help restore mobility and strength in your hip joint. Sessions could include guided exercises, stretching and strength training.
Steroid Injections
Steroid injections reduce inflammation and pain in severe cases. A healthcare professional would administer the steroidal treatment directly to relieve your pain and swelling.
Surgery
In some cases of severe hip pain, surgery may be required for fractures and severe hip dislocations.
Surgical procedures can range from minimally invasive procedures that realign your joint to more complex operations involving implanting hardware to stabilize your bones.
Total Hip Replacement
In extreme cases, you may require a complete hip replacement. This surgical procedure involves removing your damaged hip joint and replacing it with a prosthetic implant.
Can I Seek Compensation for My Hip Injury After an Accident?
You may seek various types of compensation if it is determined that a negligent driver caused your damages and injuries. It is important to document your medical treatments, rehabilitation efforts and any other expenses so that you can increase the chances of receiving compensation.
Some of the types of compensation, you may be eligible for may include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- and more
Call Roden Law Firm to Discuss Hip Pain After a Car Accident
If you are experiencing hip pain after a Savannah car accident, contact Roden Law Firm. Our experienced lawyers are here to assist you every step of the way and aggressively pursue compensation for the cost of medical care and other damages you suffered.
We have obtained more than $150 million in compensation on behalf of our clients, including millions for auto accident victims. At our firm, you only pay if we win your case.
Call us at 1-844-RESULTS today to learn more about how we can help.