If you feel pain in your hip after a Windsor car crash, you need to seek medical attention without delay. You may have suffered a significant injury and you risk severe complications if you wait.
We discuss potential reasons for hip pain after a car accident below. We also discuss the other symptoms that may accompany the pain you feel, along with the long-term risks of hip injuries.
Our Windsor-based car accident lawyers are ready to help you pursue compensation from the liable driver. We have been helping auto accident victims in Windsor and elsewhere in Ontario for many years. Visit our results page to find out more about how we have helped crash victims.
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Hip Injuries Often Caused by Car Accidents
Car crashes could cause significant injuries to your hip, which is one of the largest weight-bearing joints in your entire body. These injuries include fractures and damage to the soft tissues that support your hips.
Fractured Hip
The bone in each hip can be divided into three parts, including the ilium, pubis and ischium. A serious car crash could crack any one of these three sections of the hip bone.
You could also suffer an acetabular fracture. This is a break in the outer rim of the hip socket that connects your hip and thigh bone.
The severity of the injury will depend on the location and extent of the damage. However, even a stress fracture can affect you for a long time.
Dislocated Hip
This occurs when your femur (thigh bone) pops out of the hip socket, potentially tearing soft tissues. This is something that might happen if your leg suffers blunt force trauma.
Hip Labral Tear
Like your shoulder, your hip has a labrum that covers the socket. A torn labrum can reduce your mobility, as this tissue helps ensure smooth movement of your hip joint.
Bursitis
This is one of the main reasons why crash victims feel pain in their hip. Bursitis is a term that describes inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that serves as cushioning between muscles and bones.
Hip Tendonitis
The tendons or ligaments in your hip could become inflamed due to the crash. This should give you an idea about how traumatic a car accident can be, as tendonitis is often caused by repetitive motions over a long period.
Hip Sprain or Strain
The ligaments in your hip could get stretched much too far in the crash. Strains are more serious than sprains, but both can cause significant pain, especially when using the affected hip.
Pinched Nerve
Pinched nerves are often a result of another injury, such as a fracture or serious damage to soft tissues.
Other Symptoms of a Hip Injury Besides Hip Pain
There are different types of hip pain that may accompany a hip injury. For example, a nerve injury can cause burning, shooting or tingling pain in you hip, buttocks or leg. Bursitis in the hip can cause sharp pain in your outer thigh.
Other types of pain include:
- Abdominal pain
- Pain in the groin
- Knee pain
Some of the other symptoms of a hip injury include:
- Inability to move the hip
- Limping
- Pain that becomes overwhelming when trying to walk
- Losing strength in the surrounding muscles
- Tenderness or bruising at the site of the injury
- Swelling
- Trouble moving the hip joint
Do Symptoms Show Up Right Away or Can They Be Delayed?
Symptoms of a hip injury often present themselves right away. However, sometimes there can be a delay. You may feel a little stiff and think this is just from the trauma of being involved in a car crash.
Your body also releases adrenaline and endorphins after a traumatic event that can make you think the pain is not that bad. However, you might have a stress fracture, and this could get much worse without immediate treatment. There are also many severe complications that could result from delayed treatment of a hip injury.
How Do Doctors Treat Hip Pain?
Doctors will likely conduct imaging tests (X-ray, CT scan or MRI) to find out how your hip was damaged in the crash. Sometimes it may be necessary to perform surgery to fix the hip. In some cases, victims may need a hip replacement because their original hip cannot be saved. Surgery is often necessary for any type of hip fracture.
There are less severe cases where surgery may not be necessary. Victims may need to limit physical activity while they heal. They may then need physical therapy to help build strength and regain mobility.
Doctors may prescribe steroid injections to help patients recover. They may also recommend anti-inflammatory medications to help control swelling.
Potential Complications to Watch For
One of the dangers of a hip injury is the potential for complications. If you suffer a broken hip, you may need to limit physical activity for a long period. This can result in blood clots in your legs or even bedsores because of your lack of movement.
Physical therapy and rehabilitation are vital to your recovery, as you need to regain muscle mass so you can continue walking. If you lose too much muscle mass, you lose stability, making falls more likely.
Call an Experienced Law Firm For Help After a Crash
If you suffered a significant injury in a car crash in Windsor or the surrounding area, you need experienced legal help. Recovering full compensation on your own can be quite challenging, especially when you are recovering from an injury.
Greg Monforton and Partners is prepared to guide you through every part of the legal process. Our focus is on securing maximum compensation to help you and your family begin to get your life back.
Experienced Lawyers. Proven Results. Call us to learn more: (866) 320-4770.