Have you recently been involved in a vehicle accident in San Diego? If so, you may have good reason to question whether or not you have a broken arm.

Most people are not familiar with broken bones unless they have had one before and the shock and adrenaline in your system immediately after a San Diego car accident can make it confusing to determine whether or not you’ve just experienced a bump, a sprain, a fracture, or a broken bone. The only way to identify whether or not you have a broken arm for sure is to go to the emergency room.

A fractured arm or broken bone means that one or more of the bones in the arm have been cracked. This is an extremely common injury for children and adults, particularly in vehicle accidents where you may be thrown about the car or your arm might strike something in the event of an accident.

In adults, arm fractures account for nearly half of all broken bones, so since this is such a common occurrence in car accidents and in other injuries, it’s important to get medical attention immediately. There are three major bones running throughout the arm. Almost all of the injuries to the arm that lead to a broken bone are caused by two primary ways; direct trauma and falls. Direct trauma can include direct blows such as the trauma that occurs during a car accident. Several different symptoms can be used to identify whether or not you may have a broken arm. These include:

  •       Obvious deformities compared to the other arm.
  •       Swelling.
  •       Increased pain when moving the arm.
  •       Decreased ability to move the limb or sensation.
  •       Possible open wound from the skin being cut during the injury or the bone pushing through.

All of these situations indicate that you need further medical attention to identify whether or not you have a broken bone.