Car Accident Attorney│Clearwater, Florida

Bimalleolar and Trimalleolar Fractures of the Ankle Involve Multiple Bones

Pam — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:43:07 +0000

The ankle has three malleoli, bony protuberances that are part of the ankle joint. A broken ankle may involve any one of the three, or may involve two or all three of the bones.

Bimalleolar and trimalleolar fractures are usually displaced fractures, meaning the bone fragments have moved away from each other, and are usually unstable fractures. These fractures are treated surgically, unless there is a compelling health reason that makes surgery too risky for the patient.

Bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures typically involve a long recovery time. Although the bones may heal in six to twelve weeks, it usually takes about a year to regain full use of the ankle. Most people are out of work for weeks or months, since weight must be kept off the ankle.

A person who has suffered an ankle fracture in and accident that was someone else’s fault often has a valid claim to recover money as compensation for losses involved in the accident, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Do you have questions about your injury or you accident? If so, Jim Dodson, a Florida personal injury attorney in the Tampa Bay area, will be pleased to answer them for you. Jim has been helping people recover compensation for their injuries for more than 20 years. You can call him at 727-446-0840 or drop him an email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com.

Ankle Fractures of the Lateral Malleolus from a Florida Accident

Pam — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:44:24 +0000

If you’ve fractured your lateral malleolus, you’ve broken the “knuckle” that sticks out on the outside part of your ankle . . . and you will be off your feet for some time.

A broken ankle is not fun! It may require surgery, and will certainly keep you off your feet for weeks or months, unable to do many of the things you enjoy. If your broken ankle was caused by someone else’s careless behavior, you may be able to receive payment to compensate for your losses. To find out if you have a claim, an experienced personal injury attorney is your best resource.

If you have questions about how to pursue a monetary recovery for your losses, Jim Dodson, a personal injury lawyer in St. Petersburg, Florida, makes himself available to provide you with the answers you need. Give him a call today at 727-446-0840 or send him a private email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. Your privacy is fully protected; we never share your information with anyone.

Get Rid of the Pain in Your Butt: Treating Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Pam — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:49:02 +0000

If the SI joint is identified as the source of pain, it can be treated with SI fusion surgery. Traditional surgical fusion procedures involve using screws and bone grafts. Sometimes a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic frequency) bone stimulator is implanted to improve the odds of a proper union.

A new minimally-invasive surgical procedure that does not require bone grafts has shown promise in improving union, reducing bleeding, and shortening hospitalization time. It involves implanting three triangular-shaped titanium implants through a 2-3 cm incision into the joint, using a cannulated delivery system to protect soft tissue. With the new procedure, patients can usually put their full weight on the affected leg eight weeks after the surgery.

Recovering Money for Your Losses

If you have suffered an SI joint injury or any other back injury from a car accident or fall that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have a claim to recovery compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses resulting from the accident. You should consult a Florida personal injury lawyer who has knowledge of these kinds of injuries in order to achieve the best possible outcome.

Jim Dodson, a personal injury lawyer in Clearwater, Florida, knows how painful and frustrating sacroiliac and other back injuries can be. He has helped people with back injuries get the compensation they need and deserve for more than twenty-five years.

If you have questions about your accident or your injury, give Jim a call at 727-446-0840 or send him a private email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. We always respect your privacy and never share your information with anyone.

Got a Pain in the Butt? Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction May Be the Cause

Pam — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:57:18 +0000

Have you suffered severe pain in your low back and buttocks? Have you been to several doctors, chiropractors, and therapists all to no avail?

It may be possible that your doctor has completely missed the real cause of your problem: the sacroiliac joint.

The sacroiliac joint may be the culprit in in as many as 30 percent of the cases of low back pain. In spite of the fact that problems with the sacroiliac joint are common, sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a diagnosis that is often missed. In fact, many patients eventually found to have SIJ dysfunction have seen a string of doctors and therapists without ever being properly diagnosed.

The sacroiliac joint connects the sacrum at the bottom of the spine with the pelvis. Its function is to transfer the upper body weight to the pelvis and legs.

Causes of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

The two most common causes of sacroiliac joint injury are falls and car accidents, especially rear-end collisions. When a patient reports a history of either of these accident types, the doctor should consider the possibility of an injury to the SI joint.

Symptoms of SIJ Dysfunction

SIJ pain always includes the buttocks, and may also cause pain in the low back, groin, thigh, and foot, as well as sciatica. Pain usually worsens when walking, sitting, turning over in bed, climbing stairs, and when under emotional stress. The patient will often sit with weight on the opposite buttock, may have difficulty standing on one leg on the affected side, and may shift weight when standing on two legs to avoid the side with the problem.

Diagnosis of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Because X-rays, CT scans and MRIs don’t show SI joint dysfunction, the diagnosis is usually made using an arthrogram and block. Imaging will, however, rule out other problems that could be causing the pain. The definitive test is the sacroiliac iliac intraarticular injection in which a contrast dye is injected into the joint. The dye spreads through the joint space, producing an arthrogram, and a local anesthetic and steroid are injected.

A CT scan is then done to track the dye. Then the patient is asked to stand up and perform a series of movements that typically cause pain. If the pain disappears, this is an indication that the problem is coming from the SI joint. In some patients only buttock pain disappears, which would indicate that there may be another source in addition to the SI joint.

The injection may give the patient several days or even several weeks of relief, but the relief is only temporary. Click here to learn about how sacroiliac joint dysfunction is treated.

Brain Injuries Cause Long Term Consequences for Accident Victims and NFL Players

Pam — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:59:38 +0000

In personal injury law, we often see people with traumatic brain injuries from car accidents or falls. Recently, attention has turned to another cause of brain injuries: sports. Studying football players has taught researchers much about brain injuries; more than 60% have suffered at least one concussion.

A concussion usually happens when the head accelerates rapidly and stops suddenly when it hits an obstacle, or when it is spun rapidly, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. The violent shaking depolarizes the brain cells, causing them to fire all their neurotransmitters, harming receptors needed for learning and memory. This may cause blurred vision, confusion, headache, dizziness, and memory loss. Long term, there is an increased incidence of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

A study of children with brain injuries from accidents found that they were more likely to have both symptoms like headache, fatigue, and balance disturbances, and also cognitive difficulties, such as forgetfulness and attention problems. Approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of the children who lost consciousness demonstrated cognitive problems months after their injury.

Whether the concussion results from a sports injury, car accident, or fall, this type of brain injury has lingering effects. Once someone suffers a concussion, it takes less force to cause a subsequent one.

Former Tampa Bay Bucs player Mike Alstott is concerned. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, Alstott finds himself needing to write things down more often. “I don’t know if it’s age, or if it’s normal, or if it’s football,” Alstott said. He is only 38.

For more information about recovering money from a brain injury, contact Bradenton, Florida attorney Jim Dodson, who has helped the injured for more than 25 years. Call 727-446-0840 or send him an email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com.

Torn Meniscus Injuries

Pam — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:55:36 +0000

A torn meniscus is a common but painful knee injury that can occur in a car accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident or fall.

If you have been in an accident and your doctor has told you that you have a torn meniscus, you may have some questions about what kinds of treatment options are available and how long it will be before you are back to normal.

If you still have specific questions about your knee injury or your accident, or if you want to know if you have a claim against the person who caused your accident, give Clearwater, Florida, personal injury attorney Jim Dodson a call. He has more than twenty years’ experience in helping people recover money when they’ve been injured in Florida accidents.

Jim’s phone number is 727-446-0840. If you’d prefer to contact Jim by email, his address is jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. Don’t worry about your privacy. We never share your information with anyone.

ACL injuries of the Knee are Common in Accidents in Florida

Pam — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:36:43 +0000

Florida personal injury attorneys often see anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL injuries or the knee in people who have been involved in various types of accidents, including car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents and falls.

If you’ve been diagnosed with an ACL injury or ACL tear, you may have questions about its causes, symptoms, and treatment. You can learn the facts about ACL tears on our website.

If the accident that caused your injury was another person’s fault, you may be able to receive money to compensate you for your losses. If you have questions about how to make a claim, Clearwater, Florida, personal injury lawyer Jim Dodson will be happy to answer them for you. He’s been helping people recover for their injuries in Florida accidents for over twenty years. Give Jim a call at 727-446-0840 or send him a private email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. Your personal information is safe with us. We respect your privacy and never share it with anyone.

Spinal Fracture-Dislocations from an Accident Pose Threat to the Spinal Cord

Pam — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:16:07 +0000

Possibly the most serious form of spinal fracture is a fracture-dislocation, which causes a vertebra to move out of place to create an extremely unstable condition in the spine. A fracture-dislocation, in most cases, needs to be stabilized in a closed reduction surgery, because if left untreated it poses a danger to the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries often cause paralysis.

If you have been in an accident that someone else caused and have suffered from a spinal fracture or other injury and have questions about making a claim to be compensated for your losses, your best resource is an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer.

Jim Dodson is a personal injury lawyer in Clearwater, Florida, who has been helping accident victims recover money for more than twenty years. He is available to answer any question you may have about your accident. You may call him at 727-446-0840 or send a private email to jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. We always respect your privacy and never share your personal information.

Oh, My Aching Back . . .

Pam — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:05:12 +0000

So many people who come to us after being in an accident report that they have backaches such as they’ve never experienced before. Back injuries, whether disc injuries, fractures, or fracture dislocations, are among the most frequent injuries, and some of the most painful.

You’ve come to the right place to get the best information about health issues associated with all kinds of accidents. Clearwater, Florida, personal injury lawyer Jim Dodson believes that knowledge is power, and he is committed to keeping you informed with the latest up-to-the minute information on the injury topics that affect you and your family.

If you have questions about an injury you suffered in an accident in Florida and would like specific answers right away, give Jim a call at 727-446-0840, or send him a private email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. Remember. . . Jim always respects your privacy and will never share your personal information with anyone.

Herniated Disc Injuries are a Serious Source of Pain for Many Accident Victims

Pam — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:55:19 +0000

A herniated disc is an injury that accident victims dread, because of its potential for causing pain over the long term and for keeping you from doing the things you love. You can read more about cervical, thoracic, and lumbar herniated discs, their causes and treatments.

Jim Dodson is a personal injury attorney in Clearwater, Florida, who helps people suffering from the pain and restrictions of a herniated disc—from a car accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident, or fall that was caused by someone else’s careless act—to recover money for their losses.

If you have suffered from a herniated disc as the result of an accident, or if you are in a lot of pain since the accident and suspect you may have a herniated disc, Jim will be happy to speak with you about your accident and your injury. Just give him a call at 727-446-0840. Or if you prefer, send him a private email at jim@jimdodsonlaw.com. We always respect your privacy and never share your personal information.