Your arm doesn’t get a warning before impact. The wheel jerks, the airbag fires, and by the time the vehicle comes to rest, you’re gripping a limb that no longer works the way it did minutes earlier. Arm injuries from car accidents range from bruising that fades within a week to fractures requiring surgery and months of physical therapy. Not knowing which one you’re dealing with can be almost as unsettling as the pain itself.
Our experienced New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona car accident lawyers will explain what you should know.
Read on to learn about the most common types of car accident arm injuries.
For immediate assistance, please call (575) 222-1000 or send us an online message today.
A broken arm from a car accident is one of the most visible arm injuries.
These fractures often involve one of the three long bones in the arm:
Many arm fractures happen because a driver or passenger instinctively braces for impact. When someone locks their arms against the steering wheel, dashboard, door, or seat in front of them, the force of the crash can travel directly through the arm.
Airbags can also contribute to these injuries. An airbag deploys with sudden force, and that impact can fracture the forearm, wrist, or hand.
A broken arm may require a cast and several weeks of limited movement. More serious fractures may require surgery and the use of plates, screws, or other hardware to stabilize the bone. The real cost of the injury often becomes clearer after the ER visit, once follow-up appointments, imaging, surgery, physical therapy, and missed work begin to add up.
A shoulder dislocation happens when the bones in a joint are forced out of place. In a car accident, this can happen when the body twists, turns, or is thrown sideways during impact.
A dislocation may look “fixed” once the joint is put back into place, but the injury may not be over. The crash can stretch or tear the surrounding ligaments, tendons, and soft tissue.
That damage can cause:
This is where insurance companies often create problems. They may argue that the injury healed once the joint was reset, even though the person still has pain, weakness, or instability months later.
Arm scarring after a car accident can happen in several ways, including:
Scarring can affect more than appearance. Scar tissue may tighten around the arm, wrist, elbow, or shoulder, making movement more difficult. Some scars also cause sensitivity, itching, nerve pain, or discomfort when clothing rubs against the area.
When a crash leaves permanent scarring, the injury claim should account for the full impact of the injury. That may include medical treatment, scar revision procedures, skin grafts, reduced mobility, pain, and the emotional effect of living with a visible reminder of the accident.
Nerve damage after a car accident may not feel like a typical arm injury. Instead of sharp pain, a person may notice numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or a weaker grip.
One serious type of nerve injury involves the brachial plexus—the network of nerves that runs from the spinal cord through the shoulder and into the arm. During a crash, the shoulder can be pulled, stretched, or forced downward, damaging those nerves.
Symptoms may include:
These symptoms may not appear immediately. Some people notice them days after the crash and assume the problem is just soreness or bruising.
Injury victims should not ignore persistent numbness or weakness. Nerve injuries can become serious if they are not properly diagnosed and treated. A neurological evaluation, imaging, or nerve testing may be needed to get a complete picture of the injury.
Wrist fractures are common when a person braces for impact or falls onto an outstretched hand after a collision. The wrist contains small bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves, so even a “small” fracture can cause major problems if it affects alignment or grip strength.
A wrist injury may make it difficult to write, cook, use a phone, carry groceries, or return to work. Insurance companies may focus only on the fracture itself, but the real issue is often how much function you lost and whether that loss affects your daily life.
The elbow can be injured when it strikes the door, center console, steering wheel, or window during a crash. Car accidents may cause elbow fractures, dislocations, ligament injuries, tendon injuries, or painful joint inflammation.
Elbow injuries can affect bending, straightening, gripping, and rotating the forearm. Even a small loss of motion can make normal tasks harder. If an elbow injury does not heal correctly, it may lead to stiffness, weakness, or long-term pain.
There’s no fixed number, since the value of a claim depends on different factors, including:
Wage statements, a treating physician’s opinion on lasting limitations, and the effect the injury has on your life are important documentation your car accident lawyer will use to calculate your damages.
It depends on the location and severity of the break. You may need surgery for a broken arm if the bone is badly displaced, shattered, unstable, or broken through the skin. Surgery may also be necessary if the fracture affects a joint, because poor alignment near the wrist, elbow, or shoulder can limit movement long after the bone heals.
When surgery is needed, a doctor may use plates, screws, rods, or pins to hold the bone in place while it heals. This can also mean a longer recovery, follow-up imaging, physical therapy, and time away from work.
A cleaner, stable fracture may heal with a cast or brace. Even then, you may still need follow-up appointments to make sure the bone is healing correctly, and your arm is regaining strength and range of motion.
A clean X-ray only rules out a bone fracture. It doesn’t rule out ligament tears, tendon damage, or nerve compression, all of which require different imaging, such as an MRI, to diagnose.
If pain, numbness, or weakness persists after a normal X-ray, ask your doctor about a soft tissue or nerve evaluation rather than assuming nothing is wrong.
Arm injuries from car accidents all deserve the same thing: a clear diagnosis, a documented treatment plan, and a legal team that won’t let an insurance company decide your injury is worth less than it is. Ongoing arm pain after a car accident isn’t something to shrug off. It’s evidence, and it belongs in your claim as much as your original emergency room records.
At Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C., we have recovered millions for injured clients and are ready to help you understand your next steps. Our attorneys can review your medical records, investigate the crash, deal with the insurance company, and fight for the compensation you need.
Call our firm at (575) 222-1000 or send us an online message today for a free case review, and let us handle the insurance company while you focus on healing.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process:
James Tawney is a dedicated advocate for injury victims throughout the Southwest. Born and raised in Arizona, he graduated summa cum laude from Northern Arizona University before earning his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. In 2016, James co-founded Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C., where he continues to focus on protecting the rights of individuals and families harmed by negligence.
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