Shoulder Separation Injuries vs. Shoulder Dislocation Injuries

Understanding Your Rights from Shoulder Injuries From Falls in Staten Island: Explained By Our Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Staten Island

One of the most common and most painful types of personal injuries in an accident is a shoulder injury. Although there are many different types of shoulder injuries, they generally leave victims with debilitating pain, impaired mobility, disability, and financial strain. There are a number of ways that a person can sustain a shoulder injury in a personal injury accident. Two of the most common causes of shoulder injuries from falls in Staten Island include construction accidentsand slip, trip and falls. Our experienced personal injury lawyer in Staten Island understands that many victims who suffer shoulder injuries in an accident often have some type of long-term disability.

That’s why the O’Connor Law Firm offers victims and their families a FREE consultation to go over their case to learn more about their rights to compensation. Shoulder injuries can be debilitating and often result in permanent range of motion restriction, nagging pain, and often lead to arthritis and the need for a shoulder replacement. Victims who suffer shoulder injuries in a fall may be entitled to compensation for their present damages and future damages. To learn more about your rights to compensation from shoulder injuries from falls in Staten Island, call our experienced personal injury lawyer to schedule a free case evaluation.

Fall Accidents Resulting in Shoulder Injuries

There are many different types of accidents that can result in shoulder injuries. Slip and fall accidents can occur in a variety of settings, including grocery stores, sidewalks, parking lots, at a person’s residence, restaurant, or anywhere else where a hazard may exist that can lead to a slip and fall accident. Falls are one of the most common causes of shoulder injuries in New York.

Another type of accident resulting in a shoulder injury is a construction fall. Construction falls can occur in a variety of ways, but most often occur due to a fall off of a ladder, scaffolding, or a struck by an object and knocked off a height. While some construction accidents can happen even when all safeguards are in place, there are times when things are not up to code and appropriate safety measures are not in place, resulting in construction falls.

Types of Shoulder Injuries From Falls in Staten Island

There are many different types of shoulder injuries from falls in Staten Island. The most common types of injuries include those resulting in swelling, inflammation, bruising, and other pain. But some of the most serious injuries include broken bones, rotator cuff injuries, SLAP tears, and other damage to the joint itself.

However, there are two very serious injuries that can occur in a construction fall or slip and fall. These injuries sound similar, but are very different and can result in different forms of disability.

Shoulder Separation from a Fall

While one would think the term shoulder separation would refer to a shoulder injury, it is actually an injury to the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint). The AC joint is where the top of the shoulder blade meets the collarbone. Shoulder separation occurs most often when a victim falls directly on the shoulder. Most often, victims with this type of injury have damage or injury to the ligaments that are around the AC joint. In severe cases, the ligaments can tear, resulting in separation of the shoulder blade and collarbone While mild shoulder separations may not have any visible signs of injury, victims with more severe shoulder separations present with a large bump on their shoulder.

The treatment for a shoulder separation injury largely depends on the severity. More mild shoulder separation injuries may include ice, the use of a sling, or medications for pain. Physical therapy is often recommended. For more severe shoulder separation injuries, victims often require surgical treatment. It’s important to note that even if a victim does not require surgical treatment, they likely will face medical bills and lost wages due to lost time out of work.

Shoulder Dislocation from a Fall

A shoulder dislocation occurs when the bone in the upper arm comes out of the socket in the shoulder blade. Victims who suffer a shoulder dislocation often present with severe pain, swelling, bruising, limited mobility, and a visible deformity. Most often, shoulder dislocations occur from a fall on the shoulder, such as a slip and fall accident or fall at a construction site.

The treatment for a shoulder dislocation injury may involve a closed reduction, which involves a doctor moving the shoulder bone back into the appropriate position without surgery. Often times after a closed reduction, immobilization with a sling or splint is required to keep the shoulder in the right place as it heals. For more severe cases, surgery may be required. For both forms of treatment, physical therapy is usually recommended to help restore function and strength of the shoulder joint. These forms of therapy often leave victims with medical bills, lost wages, pain, and other losses as a result of their injury.

Did You Suffer Shoulder Injuries from a Fall in Staten Island? Call Our Personal Injury Lawyer for Help

Falls are devastating and can result in serious personal injuries, especially to the shoulder. If you or a loved one suffered any type of shoulder injury in a construction fall or slip and fall, or any type of personal injury accident such as a motor vehicle accident or truck wreck, call our experienced personal injury lawyer at the O’Connor Law Firm for help. We handle catastrophic injury cases throughout New York, specifically in the New York City and Long Island region of the state, including Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, and in surrounding areas.

To learn more about our bodily injury law firm, call to schedule FREE consultation with our experienced personal injury lawyer at the O’Connor Law Firm. We offer free consultations and we only get paid after you recover compensation in your case. To learn more, schedule your appointment by dialing (718) 948-3500 or send us an email through our “Contact Us” box available here.