Skull Fracture Injury Lawyer in Massachusetts

Skull Fractures as Serious Head Injuries

A skull fracture occurs when the bones of the cranium are broken by traumatic impact, in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, falls, and workplace incidents. While not every skull fracture causes permanent harm, all skull fractures are serious because they indicate that the brain was subjected to forces significant enough to break the surrounding bone, and because skull fractures create pathways for infection, bleeding, and pressure injury to the brain itself. Attorney Jeffrey C. Lavey represents skull fracture accident victims throughout Massachusetts and pursues full compensation for every injury these cases involve.

Types of Skull Fractures

• Linear fractures: a crack in the skull without displacement; most common type
• Depressed fractures: bone pushed inward toward the brain; may require surgical elevation
• Diastatic fractures: along the suture lines where skull bones join; common in children
• Basal skull fractures: at the base of the skull; may injure cranial nerves and blood vessels
• Open (compound) fractures: skin broken over the fracture site; infection risk
• Comminuted fractures: skull shattered into multiple pieces; most severe

Associated Brain Injuries

A skull fracture often occurs together with underlying brain injury. The same impact that broke the bone may have caused a cerebral contusion (bruising of the brain), epidural or subdural hematoma (bleeding between the skull and brain), subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the space around the brain), or diffuse axonal injury (widespread microscopic damage to brain nerve fibers). These associated brain injuries are frequently more consequential than the fracture itself and must be diagnosed and treated alongside it. Attorney Lavey works with neurological experts to document all brain injuries associated with skull fractures.

Surgical Treatment for Skull Fractures

Depressed skull fractures that compress the brain surface, open fractures with infection risk, and fractures involving cranial blood vessels may require neurosurgical intervention. Surgical procedures may include elevation of depressed bone fragments, repair of dural tears, evacuation of hematomas, and repair of vascular injuries. The need for neurosurgery reflects the severity of the injury and significantly increases the medical costs and recovery demands. All surgical costs are compensable from the at-fault party.

Compensation for Skull Fracture Victims

Skull fracture compensation covers emergency treatment including hospitalization, neurosurgery if performed, and neurological monitoring; all rehabilitation costs including cognitive, physical, and occupational therapy; all lost wages during recovery; pain and suffering including post-concussion syndrome and any lasting neurological deficits; and future medical costs for ongoing neurological management. Attorney Lavey pursues the full scope of these damages for every skull fracture client.

Frequently Asked Questions