Scaphoid Fracture Compensation

A scaphoid fracture is a wrist injury that often results from a motorcycle accident or a fall that impacts your outstretched hand. At Potter Rees Dolan, we have helped many clients pursue scaphoid fracture compensation following a motorcycle or other accident, and if you have sustained a similar injury, you may also be entitled to make a claim.

While these injuries are not typically serious on their own, they are easy to miss on X-rays or misdiagnose, meaning that they can result in complications and long-term problems. If you have sustained a scaphoid fracture in an accident that was not your fault, or if a fracture was misdiagnosed and more serious problems developed as a result, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

At Potter Rees Dolan, our personal injury specialists have had great success in securing compensation for clients who have suffered scaphoid bone fractures and breaks through no fault of their own. Our specialist clinical negligence team has many years of experience and will work tirelessly on your behalf to secure the compensation you are entitled to.

For a free initial conversation about your circumstances and the potential to pursue a compensation claim, call us on 0800 027 2557 or complete the online enquiry form on this page to arrange a call back at your convenience.

How can Potter Rees Dolan help?

The expert personal injury solicitors at Potter Rees Dolan understand how frustrating it can be when a diagnosis is missed, or when a seemingly minor injury suddenly becomes something worse because it was not treated in time. Compensation can help to pay for any private medical treatment you need and account for any time you need to take off work to recover from your injury.

To process your claim quickly and efficiently, we will:

• Investigate the circumstances of your accident thoroughly
• Offer clear and practical guidance about your case
• Pursue an out-of-court settlement wherever possible
• Prepare you for court proceedings and represent you in court if necessary

Our team has many years’ experience in pursuing successful compensation claims for our clients and our solicitors provide carefully considered advice that draws on this experience. 

What should I do to ensure my compensation claim is successful?

At Potter Rees Dolan, we have had great success in securing compensation for clients who have sustained scaphoid fractures. If you are involved in an accident of any kind, the first thing you should do is seek the medical treatment you need. However, if you are able to, it is also a good idea to take photographs of the location where the accident happened and the circumstances around the incident. You should also take down contact details from any witnesses to the accident. All of this evidence can support your case if you decide to make a claim for compensation later.

If you are seeking medical treatment for an injury and are concerned that something has been missed, make sure to note down the dates of your visits to the doctor and write down what you told them about your symptoms and what steps they took to diagnose you, or what they suggested for your recovery.
 

What is a scaphoid fracture?

The scaphoid bone is one of the carpal bones around the area of the wrist. The symptoms of a scaphoid fracture often include pain and swelling around the wrist and tenderness over the thumb side of the wrist. Sometimes there can be tenderness when touching the area known as the “anatomical snuff box”, a depression between the base of the thumb and the wrist on the back of your hand.

Scaphoid fractures are categorised by location. They are often diagnosed by X-rays, but it is important to remember that they are not always apparent on initial X-rays after an accident, and may not show up until 10 to 14 days after the injury.

In some cases, the fracture will become apparent following a review of the second set of X-rays. However, a fracture may not even be apparent then, in which case a CT or MRI scan is likely to provide clearer resolution.

What are the risks of scaphoid fractures?

Because scaphoid fractures are hard to see and do not always show up immediately on X-rays, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis. The symptoms are often very similar to a sprained wrist and it may be that you are unknowingly applying pressure to an injured wrist, which can lead to further problems. Correct diagnosis and prompt treatment of a scaphoid fracture can help to reduce these complications.

Treatment usually involves setting the wrist in a cast. If there has been some movement of the bone fragment(s), the scaphoid bone can heal in an incorrect position and you might need surgery to correct this. In some circumstances, a bone graft may also be needed to correct the deformity and to promote healing.

However, an important possible complication in scaphoid fractures is avascular necrosis, which is usually visible on X-rays. This complication and the risk depends upon the location of the fracture. It is more common where a fracture occurs at the narrowest part of the scaphoid, which is where the blood supply enters the scaphoid bone.

If the blood supply is interrupted, it can leave part of the bone without a blood supply. Sometimes scaphoid fractures are mistakenly assumed to be a sprain, but correct diagnosis and prompt treatment of a scaphoid fracture can help to reduce these complications.

In cases where a scaphoid fracture has not been diagnosed or has not been treated properly, there is a risk of non-union where the bone is permanently broken. If the blood supply is affected or disrupted by a fracture, the bone may not heal and, if it is not treated correctly, there may also be a risk of developing osteoarthritis.

When can I claim for scaphoid fracture compensation?

If you sustained a scaphoid fracture in an accident that was not your fault, you will usually be entitled to claim compensation - for example, if you slip on a wet floor that was not clearly signposted, or if you sustain an injury in a traffic accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence.

There are many different circumstances under which this might occur, so it is best to speak to an experienced solicitor about the specifics of your accident to determine whether a claim will be possible in your case.

It may also be possible to make a claim if you visited a doctor with your symptoms and they missed the scaphoid fracture diagnosis. If this led to your condition getting worse, developing complications, or resulted in any of the permanent symptoms listed above, you may be able to claim for compensation on the basis of clinical negligence.

For more information, read our blog from Helen Shaw, expert personal injury solicitor and Partner at Potter Rees Dolan, on why these fractures are so common and so frequently missed on X-rays.

Contact us today

If you feel you may be entitled to scaphoid fracture compensation after an accident or a missed diagnosis, get in touch with Potter Rees Dolan today for a free initial conversation about your circumstances. Call us on 0800 027 2557 or fill in the online enquiry form on this page and we will call you back.