Elbow Injury Compensation Claims

About Elbow Injuries

Our elbows play a vital role in allowing movement in our arms. They are two of the body's main joints, along with the hip and shoulder, and any injuries sustained to them can be excruciatingly painful and debilitating. Following an elbow injury, the victim of the accident is often unable to move their arms effectively, making carrying out daily tasks very difficult. Getting dressed, preparing meals, even eating, can all become difficult and painful, leading to feelings of stress and sadness.

Elbow injuries can occur naturally, as a result of unavoidable illnesses, but they can also occur because of accidents, such as road traffic accidents, slips, trips and falls, and road traffic accidents.

If you feel that your elbow injury was caused by another person's negligence, contact us as soon as possible to discuss your case and find out whether you have a claim.

Injuries to the elbow

Injuries sustained to the elbow can be excruciatingly painful, with the pain that ultimately ensues making it difficult for victims to continue using their elbows and resulting in the arm being permanently kept in a straight or bent position. Inflammation, a bodily process that occurs when white blood cells migrate to a place of injury, can result in swelling of the affected area, further reducing movement and flexibility. If you have suffered an elbow injury that has affected your life because of another person's incompetence or negligence, contact us today to find out whether you could be owed compensation.

Types of Injuries 

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI

RSI is an injury that often occurs in situations where people are expected to carry out the same movements regularly and repetitively over a sustained period. While RSI can occur because of sports and other activities, it can also occur as a direct result of workplace activities, such as using machinery in a repetitive way, or typing constantly in a secretarial or office worker role. The condition, which is characterised by pain, tingling, numbness, stiffness or aching in the affected area, is caused when excessive movement of the ligaments in the elbow causes the ligaments to become inflamed. In serious circumstances, RSI can cause extreme pain, which can result in the sufferer being unable to use the elbow properly. Undertaking simple, everyday tasks, such as showering or getting dressed, can become intolerably painful, and cause issues with going to work.

In some cases, surgery can be performed to relieve tension in the ligament and reduce the sufferer's pain, but this isn't always possible. Sadly, in many cases, RSI becomes a life-long condition, with medical efforts being focused on reducing the amount of pain the sufferer is in. Living in constant pain can be life-altering, affecting those who are impacted in physical and psychological ways. Studies have shown that being in regular pain can cause issues with self-confidence and can reduce motivation and cause mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a specific form of repetitive training injury that, in the past, was generally associated with tennis players, often developing as a result of the repetitive motion of swinging a tennis bat.

Today, however, the condition is observed in people from all walks of life, including those who have never raised a tennis racket. Ultimately, tennis elbow can manifest as a result of any activity that involves repeatedly over-exerting the muscles in the arm, with overuse of the arm causing the tendons that link the muscles of the arm to the bones to become inflamed and painful.

Painters, plasterers, production line workers and many other employees regularly develop this condition as a direct result of the activities they are required to undertake as part of their jobs.

Breaks and Fractures

Breaks and fractures sustained to the elbow can be extremely problematic.

Depending on where in the elbow the fracture is sustained, there may be accompanying ligament and tendon damage, and difficulty moving the entire arm is guaranteed to occur.

Perhaps surprisingly, fractures and breaks are often less serious than ligament strains and other injuries, with most healing over the course of a few weeks.

Even so, experiencing an elbow break or fracture in an accident that wasn't your fault can be extremely debilitating and painful. While it is possible for the elbow to heal itself without intensive medical intervention, sometimes, surgery is required to realign the elbow's structures and provide stability.

In some cases, secondary problems can manifest as a result of the break, usually if the break was complicated or if other structures were harmed.

Bursitis

Bursitis is an extremely painful and debilitating condition that is characterised by inflammation of the bursae, the small, fluid-filled sacs that exist naturally in the body, sitting next to the tendons of joints such as the hips, elbows, and shoulders.

Usually, these sacs have a positive role in the body, with their role being to cushion the joints and provide protection from shock and harm in the event of injury.

However, in some cases, the bursae can become a problem in themselves, with bursitis often occurring as a secondary ailment after an injury.

Although often excruciating for sufferers, bursitis tends to clear up on its own after a few days or weeks, but surgery to drain the sac and other medical interventions may be required if the condition fails to resolve itself.

Causes of Elbow Injuries

Many of the elbow injuries mentioned above can occur as a result of accidents at work. Breaks and fractures can occur because of falling from height or slipping and tripping and RSI often occurs in workers who regularly undertake repetitive actions in the workplace.

Although some tasks, such as typing, have a risk for RSI that cannot ever be completely avoided, employers have a duty of care to protect their employees from harm, and to ensure that steps are taken to reduce the risk of their employees being affected with an elbow injury.

Some of the ways employers are expected to safeguard the welfare of their staff include:

• Conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and calculate the risk of them occurring and causing harm to an employee.
• Using the information garnered from risk assessments to produce plans to reduce or mitigate the risk of harm occurring. For workers who carry out repetitive actions in the workplace, this could involve allowing employees breaks from continuous tasks.
• Providing PPE to workers. This could include ergonomic wrist supports, desks and seats, as well as machinery that functions well.
• Educating employees about the potential risks and dangers associated with their role so that they can make informed decisions about their health and actively access supportive measures.

Road Traffic Accidents

Road Traffic Accidents are common in the UK, causing injuries to thousands of people every year. Elbow injuries, such as breaks, fractures, ligament and tendon tears and sprains, typically occur as a result of the body being forcefully hit by or slammed against another object.

If you have suffered an elbow injury in a road traffic accident that was caused by another person's negligence or incompetence, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Over their many years of practice, our solicitors have successfully won compensation for victims of road traffic accidents.

Slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls all have the potential to cause serious elbow injuries. Slipping in shopping centres on newly cleaned floors that have been improperly signposted can cause serious physical injury, including injuries to the elbows. Tripping over a pavement or over items that have been negligently left out to cause a health and safety hazard can also cause elbow injuries. If you have sustained an elbow injury because of a slip, trip or fall, contact us today to find out if you could make a claim for compensation.

Falls from heigh, which can occur in the workplace, can also cause elbow injuries depending on where the individual landed after the fall.

Anatomy of the elbow

The human elbow is a hinged joint that allows us to open our arms out straight and bend them without pain or resistance. It is a complicated joint, with many elements all working in tandem to provide smooth, painless movement. Without a functioning elbow joint, the arm would not be able to move efficiently, or effectively, and would remain stiff and immobile. The joint itself is a meeting point for the arms' bones. At the ends of each bone is a flexible covering of cartilage, a tough, fibrous material that acts as a shock absorber for the body's joint, protecting them from injury and shock. Each bone is held in place by a ligament, a flexible piece of tissue that holds the bones in place and facilitates movement of the joint.

There are two main ligaments in the elbow joint.

The first, the collateral ligament, is located on the inside of the elbow. Across from it, on the front of the elbow, is the lateral collateral ligament. Together, these two stretchy, cord-like ties hold the humerus and ulna bones flexibly to the elbow, allowing the joint to move quickly and without resistance. Additionally, the annular ligament holds the radial head sturdily against the ulna, with all three working to connect the bones firmly together to form a joint.

While the ligaments hold the bones to the joint, the tendons hold the muscles to the bone, facilitating movement throughout the joint. In the body, tendons are fibrous pieces of tough, connective tissue that attach the muscles of the arm to the elbow joint and hold them flexibly but firmly in place. One of the tendons is the bicep tendon; as its name suggests, its purpose is to connect the bone to the tendon muscle in the upper arm. Similarly, the triceps tendon attaches the muscles. Tendons also connect the muscle of the lower arm to the elbow joint.

Making an Elbow Injury Compensation Claim

If you have suffered an elbow injury through no fault of your own and you feel there is evidence of 3rd party liability, then you are entitled to try and make a claim for compensation.

By employing the services of one of PSR's qualified personal injury lawyers, you can rest assured that you have secured the legal expertise and experience to win your case and receive the maximum compensation available.

In the unlikely event that your claim is unsuccessful, our No Win No Fee promise offers you the peace of mind that there will be no legal costs to pay, meaning no risk to you.

All PSR’s Personal Injury Solicitors in Wales and our Injury Lawyers in Cheshire are accredited by the Law Society for Personal Injury Claims. Our accredited status as specialist personal injury solicitors provides the reassurance you should be looking for and guarantees that we have the expertise and tenacity to secure the maximum levels of compensation for you or your family.

Covering North Wales and Cheshire, with offices in Colwyn Bay, Ellesmere Port, Rhyl, Shotton, Wrexham, Wallasey, and Chester, PSR Solicitors are one of the leading firms of Personal Injury Solicitors, affording you confidence that if you recruit the services of one of our expert solicitors, they will manage the entire claim and allow you to concentrate on more important issues, like recovery.